3 Quick, Kid-Friendly Recipes To Make Your Evening a Breeze!

If you’re looking for a few quick recipes for your busy weeknights, here are some I’d recommend. Super delicious, super quick, and – the best part – my kids adore them!

Recipe #1

I love surprising each of my kids with their favorite meals every once in a while. My oldest loves Beef Stroganoff, and it’s super quick to make.

Most of them will eat this meal, but there is always a picky eater or two in the bunch.

The reason why this is a quick recipe is because I use ground beef instead of steak; you can substitute the beef for ground turkey if you’d like. 

What you’ll need:

• 1lb. of ground beef/turkey 
• One can of cream of mushroom soup
• 2 tbsps. of sour cream 
• 1/2 cup of beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups of fresh, sliced mushrooms 
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
• One bag of egg noodles
• 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil

Instructions:

1. Follow the instructions on your bag of egg noodles. (These noodles cook quickly!)
2. Season your meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, + onion powder. I usually eye ball my seasonings, so season lightly, then you can add  more seasoning to the dish after it’s cooked if needed.
3. Heat a medium to large skillet to brown your meat. (Place the heat on high to make the process quicker). Add olive oil or butter to the pan, then add your onions + mushrooms. Cook for a couple of minutes until slightly brown + the mushrooms have wilted. 
4. Remove the onions and mushrooms from the pan. Add your meat and crumble, then drain your grease.
5. Once your meat is cooked, add your soup. Toss the mushrooms and onions back, and stir together.
6. Turn the heat down a bit, and bring to a boil. (In the meantime, your egg noodles should be cooking nicely, if not already done. I turn up the heat to get it done faster.)
7. Once your soup and meat are boiling, add the sour cream, broth, + stir. Simmer for about five minutes.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Drain your noodles, and top the sauce over it. 

(Tip: Add a side of green beans, corn, broccoli or fresh fruit. To make it faster, I usually do canned or frozen veggies + fresh fruit.) 

Recipe #2

This dish is top-tier in my household.

Pizza chicken gives you the protein and juiciness from chicken with the authentic flavor of pizza.

It’s quite a unique combination! And, it’s filling!

If you want to get your children involved, you can have each kid add their own toppings.

My four year-old loves helping me in the kitchen, so even if I let her add the cheese to the chicken, she’s thrilled!

Most of my children just prefer cheese and pepperoni, but you can also add peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc.

Treat the chicken just like a pizza crust.

You may not have as much space on the chicken to add as many toppings, but it’s still nice to have a little variety.

What you’ll need:

• 4 chicken breasts (flatten out if you want, but note the cooking times will be shorter.)
• 1 jar of pizza sauce
  2-3 cups of mozzarella cheese (amount may vary.)
• One package of pepperoni slices
• Seasonings: Salt, pepper, onion powder, + paprika

Instructions:

I like to add a little crunch and flavor to my chicken by pan-frying in olive oil for 1-2 minutes on each side before placing in the oven, but that’s up to you.

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the chicken in a dish, but do not add the toppings just yet; you want to cook your chicken for about 15 minutes. Next, take it out of the oven, add your sauce, cheese, and toppings.
3. Place the chicken back in the oven for another 10 minutes to cook the veggies and melt the cheese.

Voila! Super quick and SUPER delicious!

(Tip: Add some corn on garlic bread on the side. An air fryer will also work for this recipe, but beware of your pepperoni getting blown off by the air.)

Recipe #3

I enjoy pasta and seafood, and so do my kids. So, if I combine these two together, I get a hearty pasta salad.

Thankfully, none of them have seafood allergies. If yours do, you can simply substitute it for diced ham or chicken.

This recipe has been in my family for years. 

The nostalgia I get from my mom making this  when I was a kid can’t be beat. 

It’s even more heartwarming that my kids enjoy it as much as I did. And, the best part is that you can make this for lunch, too!

What you’ll need:

• 1 box of rotini or spaghetti noodles (my kids prefer the rotini).
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 container of Zesty Italian dressing
• 3-4 Roma tomatoes, chopped (add more if you like tomatoes)
• 1-2 small bags of salad shrimp 
• Salt + pepper

Instructions:

Boil your noodles as instructed on the box. Defrost the salad shrimp in colander under cold water for a few minutes. 

1. Once your noodles are cooked, rinse and drain with cold water. (Add some olive oil to keep your noodles from sticking.) 
2. Place your noodles in a large bowl or container for storage in the fridge. 
3. Add all the vegetables and shrimp, then add your dressing. (I usually use close to the entire bottle.)
4. Add salt + pepper to taste.
5. Stir and serve. Some of my kids like their pasta chilled, but I think it’s devine either way. *If chilled, add the remainder of the Italian dressing and stir + serve.*

Tip: I often pair this with chicken or tuna salad and crackers – just like my mom did!

Tried these yet? Tell me what you think of these family recipes! Comment below.