I need easy, fast, kid-friendly dinner recipes....

coe28
coe28 Posts: 715 Member
I am a single mother of a very picky 2-year old boy. He won't eat beef or any kind of "hard-to-chew" meat so I'm trying to find some creative ways to incorporate turkey, ham, tuna, etc., into meals that he will actual enjoy and that I can stomach as well. I am not by any means a great cook. I manage to keep us fed and nourished, but I'd be embarrassed to have to cook for other adults. PLUS I only have about 15-20 minutes to make dinner for us at night so I'm really running out of ideas and feel like I make the same dishes over and over again. If you have any dinner ideas for me and my little picky eater, please help!!

Replies

  • lilsweetwright
    lilsweetwright Posts: 35 Member
    Wow!, I sympathize with your situation. I have five kids, and dinner is often hit and miss when it comes to picky eaters. Here are some tips to cooking in a hurry. 1 - Plan ahead. Several years ago, I made a list of the things my kids would eat and then organized them into a schedule. I found ways to prepare the meals by hand so i could make them healthy, but the kids would still eat them. 2 - roast in your microwave or slow cooker. You can roast an entire chicken or just some breasts in the microwave in stoneware and it is moist and delicious. You can throw in some veggies, potatoes or rice( with a bit of extra water or broth) and your meal is ready in about 20 minutes! The same works for turkey breast and ham. 3 - Allrecipes.com is a great site for help. I often want to try something new, and you can get great ideas that fit your tastes. Good Luck!
  • coe28
    coe28 Posts: 715 Member
    Thanks! I like the menu idea and I plan on doing that as soon as I can get some more meal ideas put together. It'll make grocery shopping much easier too!!
  • katt0628
    katt0628 Posts: 58 Member
    BUMP JUST IN CASE ANY GOOD RECIPES ARE POSTED
  • How about Tuna pasta bake? This is the UK version, so hope the quantities etc. make sense... This serves a family of 6 with leftovers - it keeps well in the fridge for a day or two, tastes not bad cold too and freezes and re-heats reasonably, so you could split into smaller quantities and freeze a couple of batches. The tuna can also be switched for chicken, just switch the soup for Chicken too - works best with shredded leftovers I think.

    500g Elbow macaroni pasta cooked
    2 small tins Tuna drained
    1 tin sweetcorn drained
    1 tin condensed Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup
    1 tin of milk (fill the soup tin once emptied out)
    Grated cheese & breadcrumbs for topping

    Mix the tuna, sweetcorn and soup in a bowl - use a fork to break the tuna up into small pieces. Stir in the milk until you have a thick sauce.

    Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta in a oven proof dish, stir through, top with the cheese & breadcrumbs and bake for 20-30 mins (time depends on how cold your pasta was before you added it to the sauce basically).

    You can leave out the topping, pour it all into 1 pot & reheat on the stove if you want too.

    It comes in around 150cals for 100gs I think.
  • karikariboberry
    karikariboberry Posts: 28 Member
    Tortilla pizzas!
    just spread pizza sauce, whatever veggies/ meats your kid will eat and sprinkle with cheese.
    Easy, fast, cheap, and you can add as little or as much cheese as you want for calories.
    Also, english muffins work well instead of tortillas
  • garnet1483
    garnet1483 Posts: 249 Member
    Do you have time where you can make food ahead, and then just heat it up? I make my own burritos (which can be very healthy and pretty cheap when you use lean meat and lots of beans and veggies) and split them between the fridge and freezer...they only take 15 or so minutes to bake when thawed. Top with salsa and serve with a side, and they're great. You can also let him make his own personal pizza using whole wheat pita bread for the crust. And of course, there's always tuna mac (a can of drained tuna mixed in with shells and cheese, homemade or boxed, plus as many veggies (peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and minced carrots are my favorites) as you can fit. I also like making fried rice with leftover chicken and a bag of stir fry veggies from the freezer section. Just throw it all in a skillet with a little oil to heat it up, then add some cooked rice, soy sauce, and seasonings. You can add scrambled egg, too. The trick is having both precooked chicken and precooked rice.
  • How about thinking in terms of making dinner after dinner. I have always used my slow cooker for a meal that is fast to get on the table when I get home. I make a kid-friendly chili (onion powder instead of those onion pieces that always make kids fuss and tomato juice instead of chunks of tomatoes) in my cooker. I also make macaroni and cheese in there, but it is not an all day cook, just about 3 or 4 hours, so it wouldn't work for you if you're at work all day. Reply if you're interested in either of those recipes.
  • raylenebrooks
    raylenebrooks Posts: 137 Member
    I have 3 kiddos and 1 is 2 keep introducing foods as you do not want them to stay picky. My 2 year old still loves pureed baby food and does not eat other veggies well and chicken is her favorite but do keep introducing I learned my older two are not good with vegies.

    Now for helpful weelicious.com love the site you should be able to find new recipes many are fast and easy also lots of them freeze well. of course preplanning and maybe weekend/day off cooking. oh the website is aimed for kids and there are no calories posted but mfp you can enter if need be.
  • katt0628
    katt0628 Posts: 58 Member
    How about thinking in terms of making dinner after dinner. I have always used my slow cooker for a meal that is fast to get on the table when I get home. I make a kid-friendly chili (onion powder instead of those onion pieces that always make kids fuss and tomato juice instead of chunks of tomatoes) in my cooker. I also make macaroni and cheese in there, but it is not an all day cook, just about 3 or 4 hours, so it wouldn't work for you if you're at work all day. Reply if you're interested in either of those recipes.

    I'm intrested in any recipes you can share. For sure the mac and cheese.
  • binariiangel
    binariiangel Posts: 146 Member
    Whenever I make dinner, I always end up having left-overs. so I always freeze the extras, so that on days when I don't feel like cooking I'll just un-thaw them and its kind of like my own frozen dinners.
  • I guess I was the mean mom. I would only cook one meal, if they picked at it and didnt eat then oh well. I had a picky eater too, he didnt like anything so I'd give him his dinner, if he didnt eat it he still had to sit there. Sometimes he'd eat, sometimes not. I'd always allow them to have a bowl of cereal before bedtime if they were still hungry. My boys are grown now and very health conscious and both very slim and healthy. And, neither of them are picky anymore. My youngest, the picky one, now always wants to try new things. The boy ate sea urchin sushi... seriously, that's just gross. I guess I'm the picky one now.

    But if you dont want to be the mean mom, there are cookbooks out there that will offer you a myriad of new ideas.
  • sburde2
    sburde2 Posts: 178 Member
    I guess I was the mean mom. I would only cook one meal, if they picked at it and didnt eat then oh well. I had a picky eater too, he didnt like anything so I'd give him his dinner, if he didnt eat it he still had to sit there. Sometimes he'd eat, sometimes not. I'd always allow them to have a bowl of cereal before bedtime if they were still hungry. My boys are grown now and very health conscious and both very slim and healthy. And, neither of them are picky anymore. My youngest, the picky one, now always wants to try new things. The boy ate sea urchin sushi... seriously, that's just gross. I guess I'm the picky one now.

    But if you dont want to be the mean mom, there are cookbooks out there that will offer you a myriad of new ideas.

    That's how my mom was and how I plan to be. Your kids will only stay picky if you let them. Sure they're not going to like everything but if you don't make them try it they won't know. My nephew is 3 years old and all he eats is chicken nuggets, fries, and pizza. He is underweight not healthy at all. But my sister won't even try to get him to eat anything else. You don't have to be "mean" but fix dinner for everyone and if they don't like it tough cookies. As long as you make sure they do eat something, like cereal, not fries haha, they'll be fine and eventually they will start eating more and more.
  • Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

    1/2 pound 2% sharp cheddar
    8 oz. (by weight, sorry, I don't know it in cups) dry macaroni (I use whole grain elbows)
    1 1/3 c. dry milk powder
    2 c. water
    3 eggs
    1/2 t. worcestershire sauce
    1 t. onion powder
    1 t. salt
    1/2 t. dry mustard
    1/2 t. pepper

    1. Grease crock.
    2. Grate cheese into a large bowl.
    3. Cook macaroni according to directions. Drain, and cool slightly. Stir into cheese in large bowl when it's cool enough not to start melting the cheese. Transfer to crock.
    4. While the mac is cooling: Add milk powder to water and whisk. (You can substitute evaporated milk for this.)
    5. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Whisk in worcestershire sauce through pepper.
    6. Pour over mac and cheese in crock.
    7. Cook on low 3-4 hours.
  • Slow Cooker Chili

    1/2 pound dry kidney beans or 2-3 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
    1 pound 93/7 ground turkey
    1 pound very lean ground beef
    2 tbsp. onion powder
    1 tbsp. garlic powder
    1 tsp. cumin
    3/4 tsp. salt
    3 tbsp. chili powder
    3 1/2 c. tomato juice

    1. Eight hours or so before you plan to assemble the chili, sort and wash dry beans, discarding blemished beans or debris. Cover with water in the crock and soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain.

    or

    1. Place the drained and rinsed canned beans in the crock.

    2. Brown the meat and place in the crock.
    3. Add remaining ingredients and stir. It can go in the fridge now if you want to.
    4. Cook. Low: 10-12 hours. High: 5-6 hours.
  • coe28
    coe28 Posts: 715 Member
    Thank you ladies!! I've gotten some great ideas here. My biggest hurdle is to sit down and plan a menu for the week and hopefully now that I've gotten some new ideas I can do that! (Unless I can find a little genie to do that for me!)
  • danimarie1782
    danimarie1782 Posts: 25 Member
    Agree with the above poster that they will stay picky if you let them. My 19-year-old step-daughter was never made to eat vegetables or fruit as a child, her mother doesn't cook anything that isn't out of a box or can. I came along when she was 9 and tried to get her to eat better without much success. The only vegetable she eats is iceberg lettuce drowned in ranch dressing, occassionally some carrots, once in a great moon she will have a banana (but this is usually to make a point to me -"see, I'm eating a fruit"). Anyway, my eight-year-old does not get a choice as to whether he eats what I make. Anything new he has to have a little bit. I put his vegetables on his plate and they have to be eaten before he gets his meat and side dish. I give him one peice of veggie for every year he is old for the ones he dislikes (eight pcs broccoli, eight pcs brussels sprouts), more for the ones he does like (heaping pile of spinach, carrots, green beans). The list of foods he eats is ever expanding. My advice to moms of picky eaters: just keep pushing, it takes 15-20 times of trying something for a child to like it, makes them eat the least enjoyable first, and hide extra veggies in other places. My son hates zucchini and mushrooms, but will knowingly eat them in soup or spaghetti and ask for seconds! Just keep at it.

    I like the pasta or rice packets, steam in the bag veggies, and any meat you want (shrimp is very quick and low cal). Toss the veggies in the microwave, cook the pasta and sautee the shrimp with some garlic, toss them together and you have a real meal in about 15 minutes. The crock pot is great for easy dinners, toss it all in at night, plug it in in the morning, and you have dinner when you get home.
  • Lissakaye81
    Lissakaye81 Posts: 224 Member
    My favorite beef that is super tender is petite sirloin, can b a little hard to find, but ruba touch of oil on, thin, just enought to moisten, lightly season and broil on highest broiler setting, flip once, cooking times varry according to how rare you like
  • clshirk
    clshirk Posts: 1 Member
    Chicken Quesadillas!!
    So easy.

    Ingredients:
    Canned Chicken
    Monterey Jack/Cheddar/and / or Monterey cheese grated.
    Salsa
    Cilatro- just a pinch

    Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Place a layer between 2 tortilla shells (go wheat if you can), and cook in the oven at 375 for 10 min. You can pre make these too and just cover in tin foil and cook later in the day.

    Dip in sour cream. So yummy. and pretty healthy.
  • s3fields
    s3fields Posts: 2
    I hope this helps! I buy a bag of frozen turnip greens with chopped turnips, smoked turkey meat ( boil for about 15 then add all other ingredients to meat and water) chop some onions, and add a bit of vinegar and crushed red pepper while it cooks. Salt to taste. Its good iron and protein and it has a tang that my kids and I love! We top it with chopped green onions and tomatoes. Perfect! I like t make it in the morning and warm it up for dinner after the flavor has settled.
  • CRSE1214
    CRSE1214 Posts: 196 Member
    bump
  • CRSE1214
    CRSE1214 Posts: 196 Member
    White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

    Ingredients

    * 1 pound farfalle pasta
    * 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    * 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    * 2 cups milk
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    * 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    * 1 pound white cheddar cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)
    * 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
    * 1/2 pound finely diced smoked ham

    Make It

    1. Heat oven to 350 degrees . Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook pasta in lightly salted water following package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain.

    2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan (not nonstick) over medium heat. Stir in flour until well blended; cook 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup of milk and cook, whisking continuously, until smooth. Whisk in remaining 1 cup milk and continue to cook, whisking until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk in 2 cups of the cheese until smooth.

    3. In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, cheese sauce and 1 cup of the remaining cheese. Stir in the peas and ham. Pour into prepared baking dish. Scatter remaining 1 cup cheese evenly over the top.

    4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven; allow to cool 10 minutes. May be served warm or at room temperature.

    Nutrition Facts (will vary depending on what ingredients YOU use)

    Servings Per Recipe 12

    * Amount Per Serving
    * Calories 372
    * Protein(gm)21
    * Carbohydrate(gm)34
    * Fat, total(gm)17
    * Cholesterol(mg)58
    * Saturated fat(gm)10
    * Dietary Fiber, total(gm)3
    * Sodium(mg)625
  • CRSE1214
    CRSE1214 Posts: 196 Member
    Hot Dog Casserole

    * Prep: 10 min. Bake: 70 min.
    * Yield: 8 Servings

    Ingredients

    * 3 tablespoons butter
    * 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    * 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
    * 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    * 1-1/2 cups 2% milk
    * 5 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced
    * 1 package (1 pound) hot dogs, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
    * 1 medium onion, chopped
    * 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

    Directions

    * In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
    * In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer with a third of the potatoes, half of the hot dogs and half of the onion. Repeat layers. Top with remaining potatoes. Pour white sauce over all.
    * Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.


    Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 cup) equals 334 calories, 24 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 54 mg cholesterol, 975 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 11 g protein.
  • CRSE1214
    CRSE1214 Posts: 196 Member
    Bubble Pizza Recipe

    * Prep: 15 min. Bake: 25 min.
    * Yield: 6-8 Servings

    Ingredients

    * 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean) or ground turkey, or italian sausage
    * 1 jar (15 ounces) pizza sauce
    * 2 tubes (12 ounces each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
    * 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
    * 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

    Directions

    * In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in pizza sauce. Cut each biscuit into quarters; place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with the beef mixture.
    * Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.


    Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 piece) equals 356 calories, 16 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 73 mg cholesterol, 730 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 28 g protein.