Best "Kid-Friendly" Dishes

[COTSBOE]

My nieces are coming down to visit this weekend (ages 14, 10, and 3), and I tire of throwing out platefulls of perfectly good gourmet fare because their little palates aren't developed enough to appreciate it. The oldest is getting to a point where she'll at least try things, but the other two look at my typical meal like I'm serving them unicorn hearts in fairy sauce.

What are some good, relatively healthy meals that I could prepare on the side for them?

[TinSoldier]

I don't know about "healthy", but I would say macaroni and cheese. You don't have to make it from the box, you know.

You can even bake it with a crumb topping.

[carmachu]

Spaghetti and garlic bread and salad.

O rmac and cheese and chicken nuggets,

[BattleNymph]

Chicken nuggets and french fries. Or pizza and soda.

*shudders* The sacrifices one makes for ones kids.

[COTSBOE]

Macaroni and cheese is a good one. I know for a fact that they eat that...

Spaghetti and meatballs is iffy. I hate serving "long pastas" to children (or adult redneck guests) because those with an untrained fork tend to get more on the floor than into their mouths. Perhaps farfalle and meatballs would be better suited to preserving my sanity.

How do you make chicken nuggets? Is it just breaded chicken slices?

The last time the little one had pizza at my house she hid a slice under one of sofa cushions. I found it a few weeks later... :th_thumbsdownsmiley

[Kalzazz]

Huh

I never suffered the 'unwilling to try new things' phase, even as a small hatchling I was bold and would try any food I encountered

I would not necessarily eat it, but I would try it and see if I liked it

Do the kids not eat the things, or do they not even try the things?

The Italian place near where I live makes a very interesting ravioli (Ravioli Fiorentina is the name I think it goes by) that has 3 different colors of ravioli (green, orange, and white) with 3 different flavor stuffings (spinach, crab and cheese I think) in a creamy sauce flavored with lemon and tomato (has half small tomatoes floating around in it)

Kids love ravioli dont they? So, a ravioli that comes in Three Different Colors would seem like an absolutely sure hit!

[Amso]

Grilled cheese sandwhiches. You could even slip them some higher quality cheese and cook it like a panini to help ease them into better food.

[Magnus Bergqvist]

What about pancakes?

/Magnus

[carmachu]

Macaroni and cheese is a good one. I know for a fact that they eat that...

Spaghetti and meatballs is iffy. I hate serving "long pastas" to children (or adult redneck guests) because those with an untrained fork tend to get more on the floor than into their mouths. Perhaps farfalle and meatballs would be better suited to preserving my sanity.

How do you make chicken nuggets? Is it just breaded chicken slices?

The last time the little one had pizza at my house she hid a slice under one of sofa cushions. I found it a few weeks later... :th_thumbsdownsmiley


You are going to have a heart attack as you watch and try and feed your own kid as she grows up.....you're going to have to start adjusting sooner or later.....now is a good time to start.

Nuggets: you can go to the frozen section and buy a bag of them and just put them on a cookie tray and heat them up. Or nuke them.

[silverwhisper]

tony, do you know what kinds of things they eat? mac & cheese you know about, presumably meatballs...chicken fingers, yes, breaded & fried chicken breast. they're going to prefer the things that are familiar, so understanding what comes out of their home kitchen would probably be most helpful. ?

[marmalade]

I'll second the grilled cheese sandwiches. I like them with with tomato soup.

Most kids like Shepherd's Pie. Basically you spread a ~ 1 inch thick layer of cooked and seasoned ground beef (or meat combo, or taco mix) in the bottom of a baking pan, and top it with a layer of mashed potatoes. Then bake it enough to warm it up.

Most kids also tend to like ravioli and gnocchi. I thought making gnocchi was fun when I was a kid.

Making pancakes is fun too.

I forget what it's called, but don't forget this classic kiddie dessert... Lay a canned pineapple slice (or you can stack two) on a plate. Stand up half a banana in the center hole. Squirt whipped cream on top of the pineapple, around the base of the banana, and at the tip of the banana. Top banana with a maraschino cherry.

[Stephane]

You are going to have a heart attack as you watch and try and feed your own kid as she grows up.....you're going to have to start adjusting sooner or later.....now is a good time to start.

Hey.. my kids eat all sorts of "adult" stuff. Sushi, sashimi, Dijon mustard, asparagus, brocoli, cauliflower, etc.. Sure, they say no to a bunch of stuff, but it's a crap shoot on a good day.

My rule is that as long as they tried it then they can say no. I'm fully planning on bring it the foods up on an irregular basis, I won't be shoving it down, but they'll have to "try it" every time. I'm aware that tastes change and I might hook them on different foods.

Tony: Your best bet is to go with pastas. Chicken Nuggets/strips are usually good, unless they are in a no breaded food stage (one of mine is). The greens might be an issue. Kids like foods tend to go for sweet foods while adults go for the more sour foods. Salty works either way.

You might want to try Tacos. They are a mess, but my kids absolutely love eating them. You have all the ingredients on the table and people make their own tacos. It's a fun time. If you're not sure about tacos, you might go for tortillas, they are soft and not as likely to explode due to hand pressure.


Indredients: cooked Ground beef, chopped onions, chopped tomatos, chopped lettuce, graded cheese, sour creme, taco sauce, tacos/tortillas.

[Mouser]

How do you make chicken nuggets? Is it just breaded chicken slices?


Ayup.

Don't waste the good slices white meat, though.

Use breaded ground chicken with plenty of crumbs and egg to make it stick.

Then serve it with ketchup or barbecue sauce.

Also, baked potatoes are quick (when you use a mike) and can be topped with all kinds of yummy stuff, plus cheese.

Have lots of cheap block cheddar on hand. Orange.

Pasta and sauce goes a long way. It's basically pizza in a bowl.

Frozen greens are just as healthful and they're easier to make and store.

[happykat]

Bobo, let them make it!

Use tortillas as pizza crust and provide various toppings and cheeses. Let them build the pizza however they want and bake them in the oven at 400 F for ten minutes or so (until the cheese is bubbly and browning slightly).
My kids ALWAYS eat this.
You can also do the same with tacos/burritos.

Sandwiches cut into shapes is good too. Let the kiddos use cookies cutters to make whatever shape they want. Sometimes you can get seasonal cookie cutters real cheap at craft stores. Just remember to let them do it.

Mashed potatoes sculpted into shapes is great, too. Again, the key is to include them in the preparation.

[Stephane]

pizza tortillas are a great idea. I completely forgot about that. It was a great success at our place.

[Stephane]

The make-it-themselves bit is a likely crowd-pleaser, but it also needs to be balanced with Tony's comfort-level with the mess.

Absolutely.

[Starhawk]

Jeez, dude. Why waste effort?

Spaghettios from a can.

[marmalade]

LOL! I've already seen that face on my mom after I developed a taste for canned ravioli and mac n' cheese, thanks to the babysitter. :D

"Your grandfather is rolling in his grave!" [/mom]

[Amso]

I didn't discover canned ravioli and spaghetti-O's until college, and as a true example of my unrefined pallet, absolutely loved them.

[BattleNymph]

My kids are completely wild about ramen noodles.. even now.. even without water sometimes...


*gags a little*

[COTSBOE]

Thank you all for the suggestions. As it turned out plans were forced to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, but I will keep this thread and the valuable information herein available for the next time.

Except the canned pasta...We won't be trying that.

[Stephane]

Chef Boyardi! C'mon! You know you waaaaaaaant it.