50+ Easy and Kid-Friendly Meal Options



I used to just stare into space when it came to dinner ideas. I never had what I needed on hand from night to night, and, as a result, often I'd just order pizza or Chinese food, which only ended up costing more and more as my family grew and got older (feeding four teens and an 11-year-old is no small feat!).

Then I started making the same meals over and over that my family loved, but that got boring, so I added to my meal repertoire. That's how I ended up with this list of 50 kid-friendly and easy meals that I could choose from each week when I did my online WalMart grocery order. If you don't know about WalMart grocery pick up, check out this post because it will change your life! Oh, if only they had this when I had 5 kids under the age of 8 and my husband traveled often for work!

Some are Build a Meal, like pick a main, pick a side, pick a veggie. If you're feeling saucy, add in some bread or rolls if your family is into that sort of thing. You might even pick a dessert item from the back if you're in an extremely fancy mood. I don't have a link to all of them yet, but I'm working on it, and of course I'm also working on a cookbook to go along with it so you can purchase a physical copy for yourself and all your favorite people!



  1. Bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole
  2. Baked potato bar
  3. Baked spaghetti
  4. BBQ pulled pork in slow cooker
  5. Beef barley soup
  6. Beef stew (slow cooker)
  7. Breakfast for dinner (waffles and eggs with bacon)
  8. Broccoli cheese soup (make it easy at home or just buy it at the store Panera-style)
  9. Buffalo chicken and roasted potato casserole
  10. Chicken and noodles (Reames or egg noodles)
  11. Chicken and spinach lasagna
  12. Chicken enchiladas (homemade with red sauce or buy it frozen with white sauce)
  13. Chicken tenders with bread crumbs in the oven
  14. Chicken tortellini
  15. Chicken pot pie (mock/easy)
  16. Chili quick and easy
  17. Cilantro lime pesto chicken fajitas
  18. Cream cheese chicken chili
  19. Crustless quiche (also called frittata) however you like it pick a meat, pick a veggie or leave veggie out and serve on the side/salad/whatever
  20. Dill chicken broccoli braid
  21. Fish stick sandwiches
  22. Frito pie
  23. Grilled cheese and tomato soup
  24. Grilling out during nice weather chicken, burgers, whatever
  25. Hawaiian chicken with rice and broccoli
  26. Ham and Swiss croissants
  27. Healthy chicken enchiladas
  28. Hot dogs
  29. Japanese fried rice from trader joe's
  30. Lasagna (homemade or buy it frozen)
  31. Leftovers
  32. Manicotti
  33. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans
  34. Mexican cornbread casserole
  35. Pasta with meat sauce (ground beef, chicken or Italian sausage or a mixture; mixture of red sauce and white sauce)
  36. Pizza casserole
  37. Pizza night (frozen or delivery)
  38. Pizza sandwiches (with rolls, pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheese)
  39. Potato soup
  40. Quesadillas
  41. Quiche with crust (Italian sausage, cheese or pretty much any way you can think of)
  42. Ramen fancy and doctored up
  43. Ravioli lasagna (beef or cheese)
  44. Reuben minis (with rolls, sauerkraut, corned beef, Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese)
  45. Sausage in oven with sides or with potatoes and sauerkraut in the slow cooker
  46. Salmon patties
  47. Shepherd's pie (crustless or with crust)
  48. Shrimp scampi lasagna
  49. Southwest vegetarian bake
  50. Stir fry
  51. Tacos/tostadas/taco salad/burritos
  52. Taco soup
  53. Tater tot casserole pick a way (my book shows 35 ways)
  54. Tuna melts

For fun

Energy Balls
Chocolate Chip Cookies (with Coconut Flour)
4-Layered Dessert
Heavenly Bars
Easy Mousse
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Sides

Shells and cheese
Rice
Quinoa
Pasta
Baked potato
Mashed potatoes (with or without gravy)
Sweet potatoes
Frozen French fries or sweet potato fries
Packaged side dish with powdered sauce

Veggies/Fruits

Fruit salad from a can
Fresh fruit salad
Steamed broccoli in a pan or cauliflower or carrots
Frozen bagged veggie you steam in the bag in a microwave
Fresh carrots
Salad
Corn on the cob

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