Inside: These are my go-to family dinner ideas that are on repeat in our house! No need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to making dinner. These meals are loved by my baby through my big kids.
You know that old saying about two things in life being certain: death and taxes?
All moms know that the 3rd item missing from that list is: serving dinner every night.
Feeding kids is one of life’s constants. When I wake up every morning, I don’t always know what life will throw at me, but I do know that I’ll be feeding my 3 girls breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus snacks.
Every single day. Repeat.
Of course some days we do takeout, go out to a restaurant, or heat up a frozen meal, but regardless, the kids need to be fed dinner, in some capacity, every single night.
Rather than being weighed down by this never-ending task, over the years I’ve learned how to simplify my weekly meal planning process, which has made serving dinner to our family of 5 SO much easier.
And today I’m going to teach you how to do the same! Plus I’m sharing our top go-to family dinners, which may become your new favorites as well.
But first, Hi! I’m Marla. I’m a SAHM to 3 little girls + 3 dogs. If you’re struggling with being a stay at home mom, you’ll love my Ultimate Stay at Home Mom Course. This course will help you take your stay at home mom life from absolute chaos to totally in control.
Learn more or enroll here!
What should I make for my kids for dinner?
Let’s start here.
I think we’re all under the impression that dinner needs to be this different, unique meal every single night.
We scroll looking for ideas and ultimately end up with long grocery lists (and even longer grocery bills), and then halfway through the week we end up swinging through the drive thru because our meal plan was too ambitious. Just another thing asking too much from our busy lives.
Or we have the exact opposite problem: too overwhelmed by ideas or trying to come up with new ones. No meal plan made, takeout or drive thru most nights (which adds up!).
Sound familiar?
As you’ve probably heard me say before, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.
Does your family love certain foods? Rice and beans, spaghetti, tacos, chicken tenders, breakfast foods, etc.?
Rather than overcomplicating your meal plan (and your life) with all these new ideas, stick to the meals you *know* your family already likes to eat.
I know what your next question is: doesn’t this get boring?
Most little kids are creatures of habit. They enjoy eating familiar foods and the foods they love. That’s why it’s no surprise when they’re unwilling to try new things.
In busy seasons of life when it feels like there’s not enough time to boil water, it’s okay to pull from a set of dinner ideas that are sure to please.
- You can still change things up by making their favorite taco meat into burritos, taco bowls, quesadillas, or nachos.
- You can still expose them to new foods by serving a different vegetable or fruit on the side in a no-pressure way.
- If you’re struggling with a picky eater, try to incorporate new or different foods at breakfast or lunch.
- Dinner can already be a stressful time of day (kids tired from school or missed naps, the witching hour of 3-6 PM, etc.), there’s no need to make it more stressful by putting all the pressure on dinnertime.
Each year that we’ve added more kids and grown as a family with more activities, appointments, and managing everyone’s needs, I’ve learned that it’s okay to pick 5 or 10 Family Favorites and make some version of those favorites every night.
If you’re reading this and thinking YES, but also thinking: wait, I don’t know where to start…
That’s exactly why I created the Ultimate Stay at Home Mom Course. It’s a step-by-step, self-paced course that will teach you exactly how to implement these strategies in your daily life!
Family Dinners
Do you do family dinners in your house? Where everyone sits down at the table to eat together?
This is an important tradition that we try to do at least once or twice a week.
That’s right! Once or twice a week. There’s no need to feel guilty if you can’t sit down for a family dinner every single night.
Some nights my husband has to work late, or the toddler doesn’t nap and needs an early bedtime. There are nights where we have to eat on-the-go and nights when I let the big girls watch a movie and eat pizza on the couch.
We all know that family dinners are great for so many reasons, however there’s no need to feel guilty if you’re unable to sit down together every single night.
Life with little ones is crazy, and sometimes the best you’ve got is mac and cheese and Daniel Tiger at 4 PM and then a hot meal to yourself after bedtime. No judgment here.
That being said, when you have kids of varying ages (baby or toddler stage through big kids), you may find it’s a lot less work to make one meal that feeds everyone, when possible.
We used the baby-led weaning method with our 3 girls, and especially with my 3rd baby I found it super helpful to just be able to feed her whatever the rest of us were eating.
Many of our family favorites are baby-friendly like spaghetti, taco meat, fish sticks, macaroni, etc. If I’m making one of these meals homemade, I just leave out the salt, scoop out a portion for the baby and then season it later.
Read: Baby-Led Weaning at:
To Recap:
- Don’t reinvent the wheel on meal ideas
- Favorite dinner ideas on rotation
- Encourage picky eaters at other mealtimes
- Family dinners when possible
Related: Healthy Dinner Ideas for a Baby & Toddler
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My Go-To Family Dinner Ideas
Each of these meal ideas is loved from baby to big kid in our house. Remember that these are my “family favorite” ideas. I would love for you to take ideas from here, but also, no need to overwhelm yourself in the process 🙂 If your family eats differently, think in terms of what works for you!
Healthy Kid-Friendly Dinner Ideas
1. Spaghetti & Meatballs
Angel hair or small-shaped pasta is quick-cooking for busy nights. I always have pre-chopped broccoli ready to go. For my dad’s super secret broccoli recipe, you’ll have to check out my Meal Ideas highlight on the Because I Said So, Baby Instagram. Meatballs are an easy dinner idea to make in bulk and freeze or buy at the grocery store when you need a hand.
To change it up:
- Try a different pasta shape
- Instead of pasta buy soft slider buns and make meatball sandwiches
2. Sheet Pan Quesadillas
This is the ultimate of mom hacks. No more standing and flipping quesadillas at the stove. Typically I like to do 2 sheet pans: one for the quesadillas and one for roasted veggies or oven fries.
Here’s how to make them:
- Line a sheet pan with foil & spray with avocado oil
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Place flour tortillas on sheet pan and top with beans and cheese (or favorite toppings)
- Either fold over or place another tortilla on top
- Spray tops with oil
- Bake for about 7-10 minutes or until slightly golden
Serve with: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or chips!
3. Baked Taquitos
Similar to the quesadillas, you can make a bunch of these on a sheet pan. They freeze really easily and you can customize them to whatever each kid likes. Mine like their taquitos with refried beans and cheese, while my husband and I like them spicy with shredded chicken.
Here’s how to make them:
- Line a sheet pan with foil & spray with avocado oil
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Place flour tortillas on a work surface and spread with refried beans
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the beans
- Tightly roll up and place seam side down on the baking sheet
- Spray tops with oil
- Bake for about 7-10 minutes or until slightly golden
Serve with: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or chips!
4. Naan Bread Pizzas
Okay, this might be an even better hack than the sheet pan quesadillas! Have you ever made pizzas using Naan bread? This has been a game-changer for me. I buy a pack of Stonefire Naan bread at Costco and keep the bag in the freezer. You can use any size or shape, but my kids love the medium size ones as they’re easy to cut into 4 triangles. These are also great next day for lunchboxes!
Here’s how to make them:
- Line a sheet pan with foil & spray with avocado oil
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Place Naan breads on the sheet pan
- Top with pizza sauce or marinara sauce
- Add favorite toppings (pepperoni, olives, peppers, etc.) and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese
- Bake for about 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and the crust is golden
Serve with: roasted broccoli or fruit
5. Mac & Cheese + Fish Sticks (or Chicken Nuggets)
To be certain, I think macaroni and cheese is the favorite dinner in our house, but not homemade macaroni and cheese, just the kind from a box. Of course I prefer a really creamy, gooey homemade version, but like I said, kids are creatures of habit and they love the taste and texture of the boxed variety. This is probably my ultimate go-to meal: box of mac, fish sticks, and frozen mixed veggies.
6. Taco Meat
This is an incredibly easy, versatile recipe you can use to make nachos, tacos, burrito bowls, or serve chili-style with chips and toppings. I make this at least once a week and every time I share it on IG, you are asking for this recipe!
Here’s how to make it:
- In a high-sided pan, heat olive oil and saute chopped onions and bell peppers (I buy these frozen, pre-chopped)
- Add 1 pound of ground meat (I use chicken or turkey) and break up with a wooden spoon
- Sprinkle taco seasoning and continue to break up meat until cooked
- Add in a can of drained and rinsed beans (pinto or black beans)
- Pour in a small (8 oz) can of plain tomato sauce, then refill the can with water and pour that in
- Mix together and simmer for about 15 minutes
- Taste for seasonings and serve!
My Go-To Family Dinner Ideas:
- Spaghetti & Meatballs
- Sheet Pan Quesadillas
- Baked Taquitos
- Naan Bread Pizzas
- Mac & Cheese
- Taco Meat
What are your family’s go-to dinners?
More Favorite Weeknight Dinners:
- Grilled cheese and tomato soup
- Fish stick tacos
- Pasta with chicken and broccoli
- Crescent rolls (with pizza sauce & cheese or hot dogs)
- Salsa chicken (salsa poured over chicken thighs in the slow cooker)
- 33 Easy Toddler Dinner Ideas from my friend Jessica @ Pinecones & Pacifiers
Find all of my Mealtime favorites in my Amazon shop
-
Time-Saving Toddler Meals$10.00 -
Feeding Toddlers Guide$10.00
-
Everyday Baby-Led Weaning$10.00
What to Read Next:
- Life-Changing Meal Planning Hacks
- 7 Ways to Make Being a Stay at Home Mom Easier
- 2 Year Old Meal Ideas & Feeding Schedule
- What to do When Your Toddler Won’t Eat
