A Week of Easy Toddler-Friendly Dinners from Cookie Rookie’s Becky Hardin

When there’s a toddler in the house, it makes all the difference to have a handful of dinner recipes that don’t take long to pull off. Now that your kiddo is running around, you can’t turn your back for a second! And even more importantly, you need meals that will please the newly choosy palates of little eaters without boring bigger eaters to tears.

For this, we turn to Becky Hardin, the force behind the sites The Cookie Rookie and Easy Chicken Recipes (and also part of our Kitchn Collective), for a week of easy-as-can-be, family-friendly dinners.

With a 2-year-old running around our house, we never have time for complicated meals. I am obsessed with easy, kid-friendly recipes that we can make in minutes, and that everyone in the family will devour. I like Henry to eat what we eat, so we can all have dinner together. I make sure to keep things simple with big flavors, and little fuss! Here’s what a typical week of dinners looks like at our house.

These tacos are loaded with flavorful chicken (use pre-made rotisserie chicken with some taco seasoning if you want to keep things super easy), beans, tomatoes, cheese, and more! They’re amazing for game day, but also make a fun and versatile dinner the entire family can help prepare. 

Get the recipe: Spicy Oven-Baked Chicken Tacos

You can make the best burgers on the block year-round without a grill, with this simple recipe for stovetop burgers. They come out flavorful and juicy every time, and they’re virtually foolproof. Who doesn’t love a good burger?

Get the recipe: Stovetop Burgers

I always feel like such an amazing cook when I make ribs! I’m talking fall-off-the-bone-delicious, next-level ribs. Lucky for us, it’s not difficult or time-consuming! Throw those babies in a slow cooker and pull up a seat right in time for the best dinner ever. 

Get the recipe: Crock-Pot Ribs

This recipe may look like something you’d get at a restaurant, but it’s ultra simple and easy to master. At right around 400 calories per serving, it’s one that my husband requests again and again. For a special treat, serve over homemade mashed potatoes! 

Get the recipe: Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

We love appetizers for dinner. These simple spiced chicken wings are our go-to family favorite. My son, Henry, doesn’t love super-spicy stuff, so this epic dry rub is just his speed. We always make extra to have some around for weekend game day. Win-win!

Get the recipe: Baked Chicken Wings

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother (one cute baby boy, one huge dog, one fat cat) living in Saint Louis, Missouri. She always dreaded being in the kitchen, until she realized how easy cooking and entertaining could be. In her spare time she loves watching reality TV, practicing photography, and wrangling her son, Henry. You can find her on her recipe websites The Cookie Rookie and Easy Chicken Recipes. Be sure to follow along on IG and FB. She is so excited to be a part of The Kitchen Collective!

• The Beginner’s Guide to Meal Planning: What to Know, How to Succeed, and What to Skip
• The Best Way to Use a Weekend for Meal Planning Success
• Ask Yourself These 5 Questions Before You Start Meal Planning
• 5 Strategies for Picking Recipes for a Week of Meal Planning

Meal planning isn’t always easy — especially if you’re just getting started. But we’re firm believers that it’s the secret to stress-free weeknight dinners. We want to help you find inspiration and ease some of the pain points that come with getting dinner on the table night after night, whether you’re cooking one or a family of four or five. Every week we share a new meal plan solution specifically customized for you from reader requests or from a guest contributor, for Next Week’s Meal Plan! 

Join Our Meal Plan Club Facebook Group