This chunky tomato soup comes together in 15 minutes–and it’s better than anything you’d find in a can. Easy, bursting with flavor and a favorite for kids. Can’t get better than that! What you need to make chunky tomato soup 2 onions 1/2 cup butter (one stick) 2 26-ounce cans of tomatoes (any kind) Salt…
Simple Sweet Potato & Green Apple Soup
Making this simple sweet potato and green apple soup is not only easy but it’s a crowd pleaser for the knee high crowd every time. Why use Sweet Potatoes instead of butternut squash? Butternut squash soup is an Ina Garten classic. It’s SO GOOD. But when I’m cooking for kids, sweet potatoes work better. Because:…
Impossibly Silky Broccoli Spinach Soup with a Surprise Shortcut
This impossibly smooth and creamy broccoli spinach soup comes together in about 20 minutes. That’s because, like in many of our other soup recipes kids love, we use frozen broccoli, frozen spinach and frozen onions. Yes! No chopping means getting this velvety soup — that just happens to be packed with veggies — into kids…
Coconut Curry Soup with Chicken & Noodles
This coconut curry soup is like traditional chicken noodle soup that just got a creamy infusion of spices and flavor. It’s so good. For kids who aren’t sure about trying new flavors like curry, chicken noodle coconut curry soup is a perfect place to start: mild, familiar and sweet. Scroll down for more ideas on…
Fast Sweet Potato Chili
This kid-friendly vegetarian recipe for sweet potato chili comes together in about 30 minutes. Full of good-for-you ingredients you probably have in your pantry, all four of my kids loved this sweet potato chili with a dollop of sour cream plus a little cheese on top. Our version isn’t spicy so if you want more…
Best Soup Recipes: Comforting, Kid-Tested & Easy Enough for Busy Families
Our best soup recipes are perfect for busy families. With shortcuts and tons of options for swapping ingredients (and toppings), these soups are a hit with at least three of my four of my kids every time. And that, my friends, is considered a victory. Sausage, Bean & Kale Soup Full of flavorful sausage with…
How to Make Easy Beef Stew: A Simple Recipe that Cuts Cooking Time in Half
Today we’re talking about how to make easy beef stew faster than you ever thought possible. Do you know that traditional beef stew is a two and a half hour ordeal? Not here! We pack our easy beef stew with tons of veggies — cabbage, peas, carrots, even mushrooms — and do it…
Easy Pot Roast with Vegetables
This easy pot roast with vegetables comes together so quickly! I threw a giant pan brimming with fresh veggies smothering a roast underneath, then seat out with the brood for an afternoon walk. Don’t get woozy on me with images of a “perfect family” because this is the FIRST time the guy who shaves ever…
Leftover Mashed Potato Chowder in the Slow Cooker: “Double Thumbs Up Soup”
What can you do with leftover mashed potatoes? Make this easy peasy Leftover Mashed Potato Chowder! Just combine a chopped onion, a few carrots, a chopped pepper or two plus a cup or so of frozen corn. Throw everything into the slow cooker with chicken or veggie stock and bam. The most delicious soup magically…
Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup: A Nutritious Soup Kids Love
Soup season is the best. I love a hearty dinner full of fresh ingredients that comes together quickly, reheats like a dream (Lunch is ready!) and freezes beautifully for another dinner altogether. Our newest family favorite is Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup, a simple recipe that kids (and husbands) love! We get our sausage (and…
A One-Pot Dinner That’s the Best of 2 Favorite Dinners: Chili-Roni!
I’ve made this easy one-pot meal twice in the last two weeks. Because I love Chili-Roni. And so do the kids. If you’re looking for a fast and easy meal your whole family will love, add Chili-Roni to your list. Because: One pot! That means the smallest amount of cleanup possible. It’s fast. The whole…
Corn Chowder with a Healthy Twist: Our Kids Call it “Rainbow Chowder”
That’s right, a healthier version of corn chowder with all the creamy goodness, plus a ton of fresh vegetables. What’s special about this corn chowder with a healthy twist Instead of cups of cream, we use chicken stock plus a cup of milk. But don’t worry! It’s still really creamy, thanks to those naturally starchy…
Taco Soup: a Fresh Take on a Family Favorite, Done in 20 Minutes
Here comes another fast dinner idea! In just 20 minutes you’ll have a fresh spin on the one dinner nearly every family loves (no, we’re not talking about you, pizza, so please calm down): This is taco soup. Taco soup has all the yummy flavors of tacos served in a refreshing new way AND there are…
Dairy-Free Creamy Tomato Soup with a Surprising Source of Protein: White Beans!
You’ll never guess the hard-working ingredient in our creamy tomato soup…white beans. Yep, a simple can of white beans brings protein to a meal that you wouldn’t usually call hearty. And since there’s no dairy, you might not guess creamy. But that’s what this soup is. It’s also delicious. My first grader sure thinks so. I…
Amazingly Quick & Easy Broccoli Soup that Starts with a Bag of Frozen Broccoli
I’ve tried making broccoli soup for my kids before. With tons of cheese. And love. It took a ton of love to grate all that cheese alone, and guess what? They hated it. The soup. I’m assuming (for my own mental health) they’re into the love. This time I went simpler. MUCH simpler. There’s no milk…
Thumbs Up “All the Way to Heaven” Fish Stew
I’M JUST AS SURPRISED AS YOU ARE. When I mentioned fish stew to my husband that afternoon, it was with this instruction, “So you might want to go to the store and get yourself some burritos or something.” He’s not a fish person. That much I knew. Then, bracing myself for a round of complaints, I…
Mark Bittman’s Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon
This recipe is excerpted with permission from “How to Cook Everything Fast” by Mark Bittman. This soup has it all: It’s sweet, colorful, and creamy and even features the smoky crunch of bacon on top. The most time-consuming thing about preparing squash is peeling and seeding it. INGREDIENTS 8 slices bacon 1 medium butternut squash…
how to make our “green goblin” soup
WISH YOUR KIDS WOULD TRY A BITE OF SOMETHING, ANYTHING, GREEN? Here’s a great tip I learned from another mom recently, change what you call it. Instead of my usual, “Ki-ids, I made you some healthy spinach soup!”, then listening for the sound of toys instantly hitting the floor followed by tiny feet pattering to the…
Slow Cooker Potato Soup with Cheddar Cheese & Bacon
IT’S SOUP SEASON! With brisk evenings coming closer, days getting shorter and still not a full night’s sleep in sight, this new mom thought it was time to give my ol’ slow cooker another try. Inspired by 100 Days of Real Cooking, we made our own version of a thick and rich soup that our kids actually loved….
a little shot of spinach, the best way to start dinner!
This is an idea straight from “French Kids Eat Everything“, and I love it. In her amazing memoir about moving to France with two picky eaters then watching the European culture transform their whole family, Karen Le Billon explains that many French households have a baby food maker handy, even if they don’t have a baby….