25 Best Dinner Ideas For Kids Filled With Nutrition And Flavor

Nothing is more frustrating than putting a lot of work into making dinner, and then your kids opt for something else. If they smell or see something they do not like, be sure they will ignore your dish. These dinner ideas for kids list has mouth-watering delicious dishes your kids cannot say no to. 

Quick Table: Outstanding Dinner Ideas For Kids

Recipes	Calories Per Serving	Preparation Time
Crockpot mac and cheese	200	10 Minutes
Crispy chicken nuggets	413	15 Minutes
Tater tot casserole	290	10 Minutes
Buttered noodles	537	5 Minutes
Cracker barrel grilled chicken tenders	446	5 Minutes
Classic grilled cheese sandwich	490	5 Minutes
Pizza hot dogs	375	10 Minutes
Hashbrown breakfast casserole	418	10 Minutes
Cheeseburger Meatloaf	410	20 Minutes
Fluffy buttermilk pancakes	120	15 Minutes
Ritz cracker chicken	448	15 Minutes
Homemade mashed potatoes	263	15 Minutes
Twice baked potato casserole	512	10 Minutes
Pizza spaghetti casserole	370	15 Minutes
Chicken broccoli rice casserole	354	5 Minutes
Taco cups	361	10 Minutes
Tuna casserole with noodles	247	15 Minutes
Baked 7-layer dip	184	10 Minutes
Classic Frank and bean casserole	540	30 Minutes
Crockpot refried beans	285	5 Minutes
Trisha Yearwood Sloppy Joe	352	10 Minutes
Paula Deen’s corn casserole	832	10 Minutes
Cheeseburger biscuit cups	253	5 Minutes
Bisquick fried chicken	624	15 Minutes
Crispy French fries	120	15 Minutes

1. Crockpot Mac And Cheese

Crockpot mac and cheese is your answer if you want ultimate comfort food. It is a delicious dish that is creamy and cheesy perfect for holidays, get-togethers, or BBQs.

What is best about crockpot mac and cheese is it is simple to prepare. It is a delicacy that both adults and kids like. 

You will need uncooked macaroni, cooking spray, melted butter, salt, whole milk, paprika, evaporated milk, and grated cheddar cheese. It will be a delight to accompany your delicious crock pot mac and cheese with fried rice. 

Calories Per Serving: 200

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

2. Crispy Chicken Nuggets

Is there any kid who does not dream of having this delicacy before going to bed? Chicken nuggets have a crispy crust and are juicy and tender on the inside.

The ingredients needed for chicken nuggets are chicken breasts, cornmeal, cornflake crumbs, paprika, breadcrumbs, milk, garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper, egg, and cooking spray.

Once you put your nuggets in the oven, you won’t have to turn them since they will bake on both sides. You can reheat them in a toaster if you want them to remain crispy.

Prepare a savory hot sauce and serve it alongside your chicken nuggets for a delicious dinner. 

Calories Per Serving: 413

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

3. Tater Tot Casserole

Tater tot casserole is classic comfort food kids enjoy with savory ground beef, crunch tater tots, and creamy mushroom soup. The fantastic thing about this recipe is it is a crowd pleaser, easy to make, and budget-friendly. 

You will love how crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside the tater tot casserole is. If you want your tater tot casserole to be moist and tasty, ensure your ground meat is not dry by adding a half cup of milk.

Using barbeque sauce instead of ketchup will give your casserole a smokey and sweet flavor. It is a delicacy that will go well with a glass of wine.

Calories Per Serving: 290

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

4. Buttered Noodles

If you want a simple, delicious meal you can enjoy on its own, try the mouth-watering flavorful buttered noodles. However, you can make it fancier by serving it alongside stroganoff, stew, or Swedish meatballs.

The deliciousness in either of these side dishes will blow your mind. 

The three main ingredients for buttered noodles are butter, noodles, salt, and pepper. You can add some Italian seasoning and sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese to your noodles for more flavor.

Is there any better way to end your kid’s day than by serving them this delicacy for dinner? 

Calories Per Serving: 537

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

5. Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenders

Preparing cracker barrel grilled chicken tenders is a fool-proof way of adding nutrition to your diet. It is an easy-to-make dish that your kids will love. The chicken has a coating of sweet and savory taste.

This delicacy’s tender and juicy bite will leave you drooling for more. It is a perfect dish when you are on vacation with your kids. 

To prepare your grilled chicken tenders, you will need chicken breasts, Italian seasoning, fresh lime juice, and honey. You should ensure that your chicken soaks up all the marinade flavors by giving it enough rest in the fridge.

You can garnish it with parsley, green onions, thyme, or chives. You can enjoy your delicious light dish with mashed potatoes or fried rice to make it a complete meal for dinner. 

Calories Per Serving: 446

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

6. Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich

What more will your kids want than a hot, melty, grilled cheese sandwich as a light dinner? If you want a match made from heaven, combine your savory grilled cheese sandwich with a spicy tomato soup.

The required ingredients for this recipe are bread, cheddar cheese, shredded cheddar, and mayonnaise. The bread you use for your sandwich should be sturdy enough to hold the cheese. 

It would be best to cover your cheese with a lid when melting it since the steam helps in melting, and your cheese will cook evenly.

If you want to take your grilled cheese sandwich to a new level, add caramelized onions, bacon, sliced apples, or crunchy peanut butter to your cheese sandwich.

Calories Per Serving: 490

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

7. Pizza Hot Dogs

Pizza hot dog is an ultimate kid-pleasing meal that contains flavorful toppings like pepperoni, gooey cheese, and sauce. It will go perfectly as a light dinner alongside your favorite drinks.

Pizza hot dogs should be at the top of your recipe list when having a movie night with your family. 

Preparing this delicacy is fun and straightforward, and it will take less than ten minutes of your time.

You will need Italian seasoning, hot dogs, pepperoni, guns, shredded mozzarella cheese, and pizza sauce. 

Calories Per Serving: 375

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

8. Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

The delicious hash brown breakfast casserole is a dish you can serve as breakfast or light dinner. It is a crowd pleaser that is perfect for weekend brunch. This delicacy contains frozen mushrooms, bacon, eggs, and three cheese variations. 

You can be sure your kids will love it when you serve it with a simple salad for dinner. The combination of cheese adds a fantastic flavor to the casserole and a lovely creaminess.

What you will like about this dish is that it is versatile. Therefore, you can serve it with anything you want. 

Calories Per Serving: 418

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

9. Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Once you taste this tender and juicy, delicious cheeseburger meatloaf, it will become your favorite dinner dish that your kids will also love.

For this recipe, you will need onions, eggs, ground beef, cheddar cheese, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, and mustard and ketchup.

The meat you use for your meatloaf should not have too much fat since it will make it super greasy. 

On the other hand, using too lean meat will dry your meatloaf. Therefore, you should ensure you find balance. In addition, you should ensure that you do not over-mix since it will make your meatloaf dense and tough.

You can serve your cheeseburger meatloaf with avocado salad and enjoy its deliciousness. 

Calories Per Serving: 410

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

RELATED: 10 Easy And Healthy Breakfast Ideas For School Kids

10. Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

When celebrating your kid’s birthday, these delicacies are one you should never miss at the party. These buttermilk pancakes are delicious and easy to make, perfect for a light dinner.

You can make your buttermilk pancakes delightful by serving them with roasted potatoes or roasted steak. One secret ingredient that will take your pancakes to another level is buttermilk.

The ingredients that you will use for this recipe are granulated sugar, baking powder, all-purpose flour, baking soda, buttermilk, vanilla extract, salt, and eggs.

Adding hot syrup to your buttermilk pancake would be best as it will melt the butter and spread its awesomeness. 

Calories Per Serving: 120

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

11. Ritz Cracker Chicken

The delicious ritz cracker chicken is a weeknight staple you do not want to miss. Ritz cracker chicken is the perfect example of not needing oil to make your chicken crisp and juiciest. When making ritz cracker chicken, you will coat your tender chicken with ritz cracker crumbs, top it with chunks of butter and bake it to perfection. 

This delicious dish is incredibly yummy that you will want to eat it all day, every day. You will need butter, eggs, garlic salt, ground black pepper, Ritz cracker crumbs, and chicken.

You can serve your delicious Ritz cracker chicken with fried rice, and your kids will love it. 

Calories Per Serving: 448

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

12. Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Homemade creamy mashed potatoes are a perfect side dish that should never miss at your dinner table for almost all meals. It is easy to make and delicious, and you can serve it with anything.

The best potatoes for this recipe are Russet potatoes since they produce the fluffiest potato. When choosing the potatoes to use, ensure that the potatoes you select are not sprouting, firm to touch, free of large blemishes, and not green. 

You will need sour cream, heavy cream, Russet or Yukon gold potatoes, whole milk, butter, salt, and pepper. If you want a richer flavor, you will replace your whole milk with evaporated milk.

You should heat the milk and cream before adding to the potatoes to ensure easy absorption and to keep the potatoes nice and hot. 

Calories Per Serving: 263

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

13. Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Unlike mashed potatoes, twice-baked potato casserole involves the baking process. Every kid dreams of having a casserole before they go to sleep. Preparing your twice-baked potato casserole will involve two rounds of baking.

The first round of baking involves rubbing your potatoes with olive oil and adding salt, then baking them until tender. You will then chop up the potatoes and add the ingredient that will make your potatoes cheesy and creamy, and flavorful. 

You will top it with bacon and cheese and then bake it for the second round. To prepare this yummy recipe, you will need potatoes, mayonnaise, kosher salt, bacon, olive oil, green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper.

You can let your kids enjoy this twice-baked potato casserole with crockpot turkey breast. 

Calories Per Serving: 512

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

14. Pizza Spaghetti Casserole

Is there any kid who does not love pizza? Combing pizza and pasta will make the perfect dinner for your kid. The pizza spaghetti casserole contains sausages, pepperoni, sauce, and cheese.

In addition, you can add any of your kids’ favorite pizza toppings for more flavor. You can serve this delicious dish with garlic bread and salad for a fantastic dinner.

The toppings you can add are olives, green onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc. The best thing about this dish is it is easy, and you will have fun preparing it with your kids. 

Calories Per Serving: 370

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

15. Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

It is an easy-to-make dish you will be sure will become your kid’s favorite due to its mouth-watering deliciousness. If you want to enjoy this delicious chicken broccoli rice casserole, do not forget to serve it alongside dinner rolls.

When preparing your chicken broccoli rice casserole, you should ensure you use cooked rice or leftover rice. 

You will need broccoli, shredded cheese, cooked rice, rotisserie chicken, cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, corn flakes, butter, and seasoning. You will be amused by how easy and fast it is to prepare this delicacy. 

Calories Per Serving: 354

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

16. Taco Cups

It is an easy-to-make dish that is perfect for kids to serve as dinner. This delicious meal is made with tortillas and contains ground beef, diced tomatoes, seasonings, and refried beans.

Once you have put all the ingredients together, you will bake your taco cups perfectly. 

Since kids like to select their toppings, ensure you provide the toppings to them and allow them to customize their taco cups the way they want.

Some toppings include salsa, cilantro, onion, sour cream, tomato, black olives, Greek yogurt, etc. Your kids will love this delicacy since it is savory, delicious, and healthy. 

Calories Per Serving: 361

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

17. Tuna Casserole With Noodles

If you want a simple, delicious dinner for your kids, prepare a delicious tuna casserole with noodles and serve it with dinner rolls and broccoli salad. This delightful dish contains egg noodles, sauce, peas, parmesan topping, and Tuna. 

The ingredients for this dish are red bell pepper, butter, egg noodles, all-purpose flour, onion, whole milk, mustard, cheddar cheese, ground black pepper, Tuna, and salt.

You will need panko breadcrumbs, parsley, butter, smoked paprika, and parmesan cheese for the toppings. You can omit the cheese if you do not want your casserole to be cheesy. 

Calories Per Serving: 247

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

18. Baked 7-Layer Dip

If you are not sure what to prepare for dinner on game day, you can be sure that your kids will love the delicious baked 7-layer dip. It is simple to make this delicacy, and it will not take much of your time to prepare it.

The baked 7-layer dip is a deliciously creamy and cheesy dish that is light in fat and calories but full of flavor. 

To prepare this recipe, you will need plain yogurt, cumin, shredded cheese, canned black chili beans, canned green chilies, corn, chili powder, canned white chili beans, salsa, and salt.

It would be best to drain excess liquids from the canned chili beans but ensure you do not rinse them. In addition, you should not overcook to avoid the yogurt-based bottom layer from curdling.

This delightful dish will go well with roasted chicken or steak. 

Calories Per Serving: 184

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

19. Classic Frank And Bean Casserole

It is an incredibly delicious dish with all ingredients mixed in one casserole for easy preparation. It is a perfect potluck dinner dish for your kids that you can serve as a side dish or main dish.

In addition, you can have your delightful classic frank and bean casserole with corn, crusty bread, or frozen French fries. 

You will need yellow mustard, canned baked beans, brown sugar, hot dogs, onion powder, ketchup, olive oil, and barbeque sauce. 

Calories Per Serving: 540

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

20. Crockpot Refried Beans

If your kid is a vegetarian, they will love this delicious crockpot refried beans. It would be best to make them ahead of time since they take a long time to cook. They are flavorful and made from dry beans in your crockpot.

The beans are a good source of protein and are rich in fiber, making this dish a nutritious dinner dish for your kids. 

This recipe requires black pepper, chopped green chilies, minced garlic, diced onion, black pepper, dried pinto beans, salt, cumin and water. You can enjoy your crockpot refried beans with crusty bread or roasted potatoes. 

Calories Per Serving: 285

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

21. Trisha Yearwood Sloppy Joe

Is there any kid who doesn’t love a messy dish? The thick barbeque sauce smoother the hearty beef and beans that it oozes out of the bun and onto your fingers. 

To make this mouth-watering delicacy, you will need bell peppers, olive oil, ground beef, onion, and kidney beans. You will also require apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper, tomato paste, hamburger buns, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, and brown sugar.

The brown sugar adds the perfect sweetness that compliments the tangy vinegar to create a classic barbeque. Trisha Yearwood sloppy joes are an ideal dinner dish after a cold day since they are warm and comforting. 

If you want a sloppy joe with thick sauce, ensure you allow the liquid to evaporate off of the meat by simmering the pot with the lid off. Apart from bread or buns, you can also serve your sloppy joes on a baked potato. 

Calories Per Serving: 352

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

22. Paula Deen’s Corn Casserole

Paula Deen’s corn casserole has a crispy touch on the edges, and its center is moist and tender. If you have thanksgiving, save this dish for that light dinner when no one wants anything heavy.

What you will love about this easy-to-make corn casserole is its perfect balance of textures and flavors. In addition, it is a versatile side dish; hence you can pair it with anything you want. You can serve it with chicken, pork or beef.

The ingredients for this recipe are sour cream, whole kernel corn, cheddar cheese, cream-style corn, melted butter, and corn muffin mix. 

Calories Per Serving: 832

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

23. Cheeseburger Biscuit Cups

This delicacy is a kid-approved dish that will become your family favorite once you taste it. It has a base of refrigerated biscuit cups with the topping of Velveeta cheese and ground beef cheeseburger mixture.

Velveeta cheese melts perfectly smoothly, giving your cheeseburger biscuit cups a cheesy cheeseburger taste. 

To prepare your cheeseburger biscuit cups, you will require ground beef, Velveeta cheese, yellow mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and refrigerated biscuits.

You can serve your delicious dish with a bagged green salad with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers.

Calories Per Serving: 253

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

24. Bisquick Fried Chicken

If you want something crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside for dinner, Bisquick fried chicken is the dish for you. Most people get misled by thinking the dish is fried because of its name, but it is baked and not fried.

It is super easy to prepare and requires a few ingredients to make. These ingredients include butter, paprika, pepper, Bisquick baking mix, salt, and chicken. 

You can add any spices and seasonings that you want, depending on the chicken flavor you want to achieve. Before dipping your chicken into the Bisquick mix, ensure you first dip it in the egg, so the coating has a better chance of staying in place.

Even though Bisquick fried chicken is a meal on its own, serving it with creamy mashed potatoes will make it a perfect comfort meal for your kids. 

Calories Per Serving: 624

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

25. Crispy French Fries

Homemade French fries are incredibly delicious and are the best since they are double-fried. They are fried at low temperature to cook them through and then fried the second time in hotter oil to crisp them up to golden perfection.

The best potatoes to use are the Russet since they are dense and lack much water inside, allowing them to get crispier.

To achieve maximum crispiness and prevent fries from sticking together, ensure that you soak your sliced potatoes in water overnight to remove excess starch. 

To prepare this recipe, you will need Russet potatoes, chili powder, water, salt, and oil. You can serve your delicious crispy French fries with avocado salad and marinara sauce. 

Calories Per Serving: 120

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Serve Breakfast For Dinner Foods For Your Kids As Dinner?

Yes, you can. You can prepare various brinner recipes for dinner for your kids, and be sure that they will love them. They will enjoy brinner dishes like breakfast pizza, German pancakes, breakfast tortilla wrap, etc. These dishes are kid-friendly, delicious, and healthy. 

Can Adults Eat Dinner Recipes For Kids?

Yes, they can. There are many dinner recipes for kids that even adults will find delicious, and they will love them. In addition, most of these foods have nutritional value; hence they are also suitable for adults.

They are perfect, especially on those nights when you are tired and want something light. 

What Should You Make For Your Kid For Dinner?

What you will make for dinner for your kid depends on what your kid loves. However, there are many dinner ideas you can prepare for your kid that they will instantly love.

If you do not know what your kid likes, you can prepare them breakfast pizza,  crispy French fries, cheeseburger biscuit cups, taco cups, crispy chicken nuggets, etc.