Recipes that kids would like? Dinner meals?

My daughter is not really picky, but she is really specific on what she likes. For examples she will eat tomato sauce cold, but will not let a tomato cross her lips. Won't eat a fish stick, but loves shrimp and lobster (unfortunately fish sticks are in my budget!)

I think that one thing that tends to be confusing for parents, it was for me, is that dinner does not have to be what we consider dinner. As long as they are getting food from all the major food groups its fine. For example the other day for lunch my daughter had celery and dip, raisins, a pickle and a few graham crackers.

One thing to remember is that children love to dip, cook and eat things with their fingers. The key is to sneak things in the dips that you use.

I sautee diced onions, carrots, tomatoes, peppers and zucchini in a little olive oil. Then I put it the food processor and make it mush. I add about three tablespoons to the ranch dip I buy at the store with equal amounts low fat sour cream and canola mayonnaise. I spread this on the dough before the sauce when I make pizzas. I mix this in italian dressing for her lettuce. She won't eat anything else in a salad. I mix it in ketchup for burgers. I tried to do it for all the ketchup but she wondered why it looked funny.

Another thing to consider is that children like to prepare their own food. I know this sounds nuts, but buy a fondue maker if your kids like cheese. There are a ton of fondue recipes on the internet, I would sugges that you make a mild one. Then give them whatever they like to dip in it. Chicken, meatballs, whatever veggies they like (my daughter will even dip green beans), bread. You could also sneak some of the veggie mixture in this.

I know it's often hard to get children to eat a meal with you because there is just so many nights a week you can eat pasta and pizza, but there are ways you can make this less time consuming and everyone can have a decent meal. Make pasta ahead and keep it in the fridge. Have the children at least taste what you make for dinner and have the pasta on hand just in case. It's not hard to nuke pasta quicly.

Okay, I gave you a few ideas here's my one recipe that you can make and everyone in your house will have a meal.

Meat and Cheese Empanadas

1 package empanada pastry. You can generally find these in the international frozen food section of your larger supermarkets. If not your local hispanic grocer should have them. You can make them from scratch, but it's so not worth the time.

1/2 lb. ground beef

1 brick of mozzerella cheese

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. chili powder

3 tbsp. fresh cilantro

3 tbsp. of the veggie mixture

1/4 c. water

For the kids just brown the ground beef. Spread a little of the veggie mixture on the pastry, add a tablespoon or two of the ground beef and a slice of mozzeralla on half. Fold the other half over and bake in the oven. You can fry them, and they are delicious, but baking is better for the kids.

For the adults just add the rest of the ingredients to the ground beef and cook about 10 minutes longer. The directions are the same.

pizza! it may not be healthy, but you could do it with wholmeal flour and soya marg or something...

i am 14 and me and my sis love this recipe, i made it for the first time the other night...

for the base:

flour (i dont know measurements, it deoend how big you want it)

olive oil/butter

milk

mix the flour and butter into breadcrumbs. This doesnt have to be done thouroughly at all, just do a little bit.

then add small amount sof milk at a time, mixing with a knife, (the less handled the better) and then squich together into a ball, until it si NOT wet but all sticks together.

Roll it out evenly and lay itno the greased tray.

Sauce:

you can improvise-

tinned tomatoes,

onion

mixed herbs

garlic

fry the onions off in a sauce pan with a littel bit of oil. mash the tinned tomatoes and add them, add herbs and cook well.

spread onto the pizza base.

topping:

add cheese

pineapple is LOVELY on this

chopped tomatoes

peppers etc

(you can include finely chopped vegys without kids realsiing!)

place these all on top, cheese last so that it covers them...

place in the oven at around 180 c for about 1/2 hr.

i know this has been vague, but i made it just following them vagues lines and it was perfect. just practise!

also any pasta dishes etc

Shepherd's Pie

Take a pie pan and cover bottom and sides with mashed potatos. Instant work well. Cook a pound of hamburger with Taco seasoning mix. Place on mashed potatos in pie plate. Top with grated cheddar cheese and place in oven until cheese melts.

Chicken Nuggets

1 lb chicken breast partially frozen; melted butter; mixture of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and basil. Cut chicken pieces into nugget size pieces, dip in butter and then coating,

place on cookie sheet and bake in oven (350) until cooked through. (Don't have cooking time avail to me now, but check after 15 or 20 minutes or so)

Simple Sloppy Joes

Take a lb of hamburger and brown and drain grease. Add ketchup and continue heating and stirring for a couple of minutes. Then serve on toasted buns.

Salad Bar

Let kids make their own salads: Get lettuce and variety of veggies, chop some hard boiled egg. Get a thick slice each of ham and turkey at the deli and cube. Shredded cheese, bacon bits, croutons and whatever else you can think of.

Ingredients * 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened * 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix * 2 green onions, minced * 4 (12 inch) flour tortillas * 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced * 1/2 cup diced celery * 1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives * 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese Directions 1. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, and green onions. Spread this mixture on each tortilla. Sprinkle red pepper, celery, black olives, and cheese (if you'd like) over the cream cheese mixture. Roll up the tortillas, then wrap them tightly in aluminum foil. 2. Chill 2 hours or overnight. Cut off ends of the rolls, and slice the chilled rolls into 1 inch slices.

Try Puffy Cheese Pie - Buy puff pastry in frozen rounds, let the pastry get soft, (semi-defrosted), open it out on a baking sheet, fill half the round with slices of cheese, my kids love the creamy brie or empty out a bag of grated pizza cheese, fold the pastry over in half like a huge patty, dip your fingers under the tap and wet the edges & seal-pinch together, prick a couple of times with a fork and bake 15 mins in very hot oven til it rises all puffy and golden. serve hot with white ham or steak, whatever meat they like and some salad. Its the quickest thing to make, maybe 20 mins in total and so tasty. Hint: you can prepare this in advance, stick it in the fridge and when you get home, put the oven on and throw it in! Trust me, not one kid ever refused this pie.

A VEGETABLE THAT YOUR KIDS WILL EAT

2 boxes frozen chopped broccoli

1 box frozen cauliflower

1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup

8 oz. jar Cheez Whiz

Dried bread crumbs

Make veggies; boil and drain. In a 2 quart casserole dish mix all ingredients, except bread crumbs. Cover top generously with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1/2 hour or until bread crumbs brown and cheese bubbles.

I don't know any kid that would turn away from pizza.

You can make it healthier by using lowfat mozzerella.

You can get pizza dough or premade crust like Boboli.

Use the bottled spaghetti or marinara sauce, or for a change try using pesto instead of tomato sauce.

Well...since bacon and sausage are very unhealthy, it's good that they wont eat it.

How about Pasta with a nice homemade pasta sauce or veggie sir fry over rice?

4-by-4 Kosher Chicken (Meat)

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 medium chicken (about 4 pounds or 2 kilograms)

EQUIPMENT: small saucepan, wooden spoon, roasting pan with cover

PREPARATION:

1. Combine soy sauce, oil, honey, and lemon juice in saucepan. Place on stovetop.

2. Turn on stove to medium. Keeping one hand on saucepan handle, stir ingredients with wooden spoon. Simmer about 4 minutes, until everything is combined.

3.Turn off stove.

4. Place chicken in roasting pan. Gripping saucepan handle, carefully pour sauce over chicken.

5. Cover pan and place in oven. Turn over on to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 1 1/4 hours (or 1 1/2 hours if you like your chicken well-done). If an adult is around to help you, turn the chicken over after about 40 minutes.

6. Turn off oven. Using oven mitts, remove pan from oven and place on potholder.

Vegetable Veggie Burgers

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup corn kernels

7 mushrooms, diced

3 scallions (green onions) diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 carrot, grated

1 small potato, grated

1/4 cup silken (soft) tofu

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup bread crumbs

PREPARATION:

In a blender or food processor, process tofu until creamy and set aside.

Sautee the corn, mushrooms, scallions and bell pepper in one tablespoon of oil for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for one more minute.

Remove from heat and add the carrot, potato, tofu, salt and pepper.

Add bread crumbs until the mixture holds together. You may need a little bit more or less than a half a cup.

Shape the mixture into patties and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Heat remaining two tablespoons of olive oil and cook each patty until the veggie burgers are done, about 3 minutes on each side.

perhaps making noodles. my kids love noodles with garlic butter, noodles with thai sauce, noodles with cheese, noodles with spaghetti sauce.....i have only one picky eater, and i have a bowl of cereal bars and granola bars in a bowl. if he doesn't want dinner he may have ONE with a glass of milk. btw when i say cereal bars i dont mean those bars that are regular cereal that are for breakfast on the go. the other cereal bars, with a whole grain outter part filled with fruit. just check the labels. good luck!