We’re trying to find the BEST KIDS’ RECIPES EVER. What are those? Here are the criteria:
- Made with mostly fresh ingredients
- Encourages variety and nutrition
- Simple enough to make for families with small kids
- BELOVED BY (ALMOST) ALL KIDS
If you’d like to be part of our recipe testing group, please email me at charity.mathews@gmail.com.
We’ll start with the recipes my own kids love…and find out if yours do too.
Here are the first recipes up for testing:
UPDATED: These link directly to the posts on the live site now. Please just post your comments — whether they’re good or bad — directly on the post.
- Honey-Mustard Chicken
- Sweet Potato Oven Fries with Cinnamon
- Maple-Balsamic Salad Dressing or Veggie Dip
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tex-Mex
- Oven-Roasted Cauliflower
- Cheeseburger Hand Pies
- Sausage & Spinach Over Rice
- Cod with Orzo and Peas
- One-Pot Homemade Mac & Cheese
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
- Skillet Spinach with Garlic
- Easiest-Ever Roasted Carrots
Together we are going to identify the BEST KIDS’ RECIPES EVER. And this is only the start.
One more thing…
To THANK YOU for all of your awesome feedback, I’ll be GIVING AWAY COOKBOOKS (and maybe a few other cool little gadgets) on a regular basis. All you have to do to be eligible is comment below to let me know you’re in! I’ll be checking all the recipe posts listed above often and I can’t wait to hear what you think.
So, we tried the maple balsamic dressing with kale salad tonight and here is our very real life review:
I put one bite on each plate, as instructed, the kids climbed up to the table, I put water in glasses and turned around to find that Levi had dished his WHOLE plate up with salad! I said that many other kids were trying this, too, I wanted them to take one bite and tell me ‘thumbs up or thumbs down’. Caleb was having a FIT, because he wanted BREAD….NOW. They each took their bite– Caleb crying with a thumbs up, and Levi shoving a fist full into his mouth with a thumbs up. we dished up the rest of the dinner, Caleb still crying. Chris ate his dinner, then I told him he just ate kale. He said, ‘huh, I’m not usually a fan, but the dressing was so good.’ In that time, Levi went to the fridge, drowned his salad in ranch and was dishing up thirds. Caleb was still crying, saying he wasn’t going to eat, but wanted to save the salad. You know me, I love salad. So, four thumbs up. And I will be eating this for my lunch at work tomorrow…in sweet peace.
Ha! Oh no! That sounds like many (many, many) of the meals we’ve had around here over the years. Dining with preschoolers. It ain’t for sissies. #atleastthedressingwasgood
Thanks for trying this one and here’s to smoother sailing for the next recipe!
Tonight’s dinner- honey mustard chicken. How have I never made anything like this before???? It’s a good thing Chris wasn’t home, because there wouldn’t have been enough! I loved that it was SO EASY to make and my boys love meat, honey and mustard, so we’ll, that was an easy sell. They ate 3 servings! God help me when they’re teenagers! Obviously, this dinner was 3 thumbs up! Thanks!!!
Are you going to be doing anymore recipes for this? I know things have been crazy with the holidays, though. My oldest keeps asking me when we’re going to try more recipes!
Sure am! Look for tons of new recipes to try later this week. In the meantime, I’d ALWAYS love your feedback on any of the recipes here on the site. I keep an eye on the most popular recipes plus the recipes that have the most comments. It’s a huge help!
Can’t wait to try the Hamburger Pies and slow cooker Chicken Tikka Masala. My problem is my husband is often pickier than my kids (they love broccoli, he gags when I serve it). Also, my older daughter has a strong aversion to ANYTHING with a little kick or even spice (the flavorful kind). I’ve been on a mission to cook/serve more ethnic food . Beef Tagine was a big fail last night. Thanks for these ideas! Can’t wait to test them out!
Awesome! you’re in.
I’m so glad you posted this again on Facebook. I’d like to be a tester. My kiddo is five. Thanks!
4 kids here chiming in! We tried
Maple-Balsamic Salad Dressing or Veggie Dip
– So easy to prepare and 18m loved helping me toss the salad! 18m choked some on the kale (because she doesn’t have all the teeth yet) but gives it a thumbs up for flavor! 3 years thumbs up, 4 years thumbs down, 7 years in the middle. I was so happy it gets better if you don’t eat it all (though it’s surprising if you have leftovers). I crave it after only 3 days – yum!!!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tex-Mex
– Easy to make and already had everything on hand. It was such a nice yummy change up from taco soup or taco salad, or even burritos, which we have regularly. We had ours with avocado and tortilla chips, but rice on leftover night and both were delicious. The hubby said he gives it a thumbs up only with the texture of the chips added (otherwise texture was off for him). 18 mon – thumbs down, 3 years, thumbs up, 4 years in the middle, 7 years in the middle.
Pretty split family, huh? I think I’ll keep trying them over again. They’re still getting used to rating the food, and it’s funny how indecisive they can be. That being said, just rating the food has made them more willing to try it – so thanks for the inspiration!!
I’m a tester again 🙂
Tonight I made the cheeseburger hand pies, sweet potato fries and roasted cauliflower for dinner. We love the Gruffalo books, so I called it Gruffalo pie, roasted fox, and snake fries. They still wouldn’t eat the cauliflower though 🙂
Leigh Fickling — would love to be a tester! And, we do test, already! Love the amatriciana sauce! Our new favorite!
We will definitely start trying these recipes. My boys are 3 1/2 (not too picky, this one, but sometimes what he balks at surprises me) and 4 months (starting solids soon!).
Great! Can’t wait to hear what you think. Be sure to leave your reviews on the posts themselves (I see all of them immediately!) You’ll also be eligible for cheeky giveaways I send out to lucky testers as often as I can.
I would love to be a tester but 2 of my 3 girls have food allergies so recipes can be tricky sometimes. My girls are 6 (no allergies- will mostly try anything on her plate), 5 (allergies to shellfish, peanuts and sesame- mostly wants to eat bread and cheese) and 4 (allergies to dairy, peanuts, seeds, and egg- loves pasta, rice and beans and can eat the other two under the table). To make things even more complicated around our dinner table, my husband is on a path to Veganism/ plant-based eating. I am always searching for ideas that can work for the entire King crew.