30 Easy Toddler Dinners the Whole Family Will Love

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the…read more
Jan Valdez
Jan ValdezAssistant Recipe Producer
I cover recipe content on The Kitchn, write and update recipes and recipe roundups, and test recipes for the team. I have 10 years of experience working in R&D test kitchens, testing products and recipes, and at publishers including Serious Eats and EatingWell.
updated Jul 26, 2024
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Creamy pasta with broccoli, topped with grated cheese and red pepper flakes in a white bowl.
Credit: Joe Lingeman

The struggles of feeding a toddler is definitely a challenge. Toddlers bounce from happy and inquisitive to tired and cranky easily without the capacity to tell us that they are hungry and headed for a meltdown. All of this is to say that after a day, or a week, or even hours of extraordinary emotional highs and lows and generally wrestling a wild, stubborn toddler, you are tired. And you all still need to eat, so having easy toddler food ideas and toddler-friendly dinners on hand is key.

Here are 30 easy toddler dinner ideas for the nights when growing up has really worked up your little one’s appetite.

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Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: James Park
3-Ingredient Corn Soup

This comforting soup uses canned corn to deliver a sweet-and-savory taste in a pinch. Serve it alongside some cheesy garlic bread for an easy dinner.

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Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: James Park
Chicken Sliders

For the best-ever toddler-sized mini chicken sandwiches, mix shredded chicken with mayo, sour cream, and green onions. Melty cheese and buttery rolls take things to the next level.

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Kelli Foster
Creamy Tortellini Soup

Perfect for chilly weather, this vegetarian soup has a creamy tomato-based broth loaded with tender cheese tortellini and spinach.

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Photo: Christopher Testani; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

This quick and easy ragù made with ground beef, crushed tomatoes, garlic, and spices, is sure to become a weeknight favorite.

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Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Bites

These tender, bite-sized pieces of chicken breast — flavored with garlic and a generous shower of nutty Parmesan, are perfect for tiny hands.

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Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food styling: Cyd McDowell
One-Pot Orzo with Peas and Parmesan

This one-pot dish cooks orzo pasta in flavorful stock and is finished with lemon, green peas, and Parmesan for a lighter take on creamy risotto.

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Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: James Park
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs is Italian American comfort food at its very best and a guaranteed hit with even the pickiest eaters. When it comes to the meatballs, skip the fussy frying and bake them instead for equally satisfying results.

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Photo: Vicky Wasik. Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Chicken Alfredo

Chicken Alfredo pasta is the macaroni and cheese-adjacent dish that's a win for the whole family. Learn the basics of Alfredo sauce and how to use it for making easy chicken fettuccini Alfredo for those busy weeknights.

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Photo: Eric Kleinberg; Food Stylist: Kristina Vanni
Ham and Cheese Sliders

These easy kid-sized sliders have it all: sweet slices of ham, irresistibly gooey Swiss cheese, squishy Hawaiian rolls, and a savory butter drizzled over top.

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Photo: Vicky Wasik; Food Styling: Kelli Foster
Easy Tuna Casserole

Between the tender egg noodles, super creamy sauce, and flaky tuna, this is sure to be an instant hit with the whole family.

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Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell
Picadillo

This comforting dish of ground beef, potatoes, and veggies comes together in a single skillet and is endlessly customizable.

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Joe Lingeman
5-Ingredient Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and cheese is always a guaranteed win with kids. This recipe uses a no-roux method for faster (and tastier!) macaroni and cheese on the stovetop, made with just 5 ingredients.

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Laura Rege
Sloppy Joe Casserole

A hearty kid-friendly casserole with the flavors of a classic sloppy joe but with none of the messy eating.

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Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: Rachel Perlmutter
Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken Meatballs

This lemony blend brightens up these ground chicken meatballs that are finished in a savory but not-too-rich creamy sauce that gives cozy chicken pot pie vibes.

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Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Barrett Washburne
Easy Lasagna

This simple beef and cheese lasagna is about as low-lift as you can get while still achieving cheesy, crowd-pleasing results. Since this recipe starts with a jar of marinara for ease, make sure it’s one that tastes great.

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Kelli Foster
Turkey Pinwheels

These easy snacks for dinner take less than 20 minutes to assemble, plus they're a hit with kids and adults alike.

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Joe Lingeman
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

A fun twist on classic chicken Parmesan, these meatballs eschew spaghetti in place of extra marinara and a whole lot of melty mozzarella, and the whole thing comes together in just one skillet.

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Joe Lingeman
Broccoli and Cheese Risotto

A recipe for creamy broccoli-cheddar risotto that's both family-friendly and fit for a weeknight.

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Olive & Mango
5-Ingredient No-Boil Baked Ziti

Tightly covering the baking dish in aluminum foil forces the pasta to steam-cook in the marinara sauce, which eliminates the need to pre-boil the noodles. It's a weeknight recipe win!

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Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: James Park
Cheeseburger Sliders

Sautéed ground beef and onions, gooey cheese, and the perfect dipping sauce make these the most delicious sliders the whole family will love.

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Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Spencer Richards
French Onion Dip Chicken Bites

Tender, bite-size pieces of chicken breast flavored with a simple sauce that tastes just like French onion dip.

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