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