I’ve rounded up a list of the best quick and easy dinner ideas that your picky kids will actually eat! Everything from chicken and ground beef to pasta and mini pizzas. These simple recipes are all made with just a few basic ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to throw together.

July 23, 2023 By Lilly

Are you looking for quick and easy meals to make for your picky eaters?

Your kids are going to love these budget friendly dinner recipes almost as much as you. Not only are they incredibly tasty, they are effortless to make on busy school nights with just a handful of basic, cheap ingredients.

Sometimes I find myself stuck in a rut, making the same boring meals every night– spaghetti, bean burritos, chicken nuggets. Sound familiar? Preparing a fun and interesting dinner for kids can seem overwhelming, especially on weekdays when, as a busy mom, you’re too tired to be in the kitchen all night cooking and cleaning. No worries! I’ve rounded up my best reviewed kid-friendly dinner ideas into one organized place. But the best part is, they’re not just for kids. Adults love them, too. 🙂

1. Lazy Enchiladas

Smother frozen taquitos in enchilada sauce and cheese for the easiest dinner you’ll ever make! Keep these pantry staples and freezer staples on hand for last minute meals on busy school nights. You’ll thank me later.

Lazy Enchiladas | A quick dinner idea for a family with kids made with frozen taquitos, enchilada sauce, refried beans, and cheese. Simply dump everything into a casserole dish for baking in the oven. — Recipe: Lazy Enchiladas

2. Mini Chicken Pot Pies

With just 4 simple ingredients and muffin pan, you can make this deliciously fun dinner that even the pickiest of eaters will gobble up. And, they’re loaded with a variety of healthy vegetables!

Muffin Pan Chicken Pot Pies | A budget friendly dinner recipe made with just 4 ingredients including Pillsbury refrigerated dough, canned chicken, frozen veggies and a can of cream of chicken soup. Great for a family with picky kids to feed, especially on a budget. — Recipe: Mini Chicken Pot Pies

3. Taco Mac & Cheese

Combine these two classic comforts to create a fun and flavorful dinner your entire family will practically inhale. Seasoned ground beef and a few boxes of Velveeta Shells & Cheese are all you need to make this fast dinner idea.

Taco Macaroni & Cheese | The combination of boxed Velveeta shells and cheese mixed with seasoned ground beef and a can of Rotel to make a fun and unique dinner for kids. — Recipe: Taco Macaroni & Cheese

4. Lazy Lasagna

Simply layer frozen ravioli in a baking dish with your favorite jar of pasta sauce and lots of cheese to create a yummy, vegetarian meal that tastes and looks just like lasagna! You can also add ground beef, sausage, or veggies to the layers.

Lazy Lasagna | Frozen ravioli, pasta sauce, and cheese layered in a baking dish to make a super easy meal for picky kids. — Recipe: Lazy Lasagna

5. Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy

Dump a few chicken breasts, a can of chicken soup, sour cream, and a few packets of chicken gravy into your Crockpot to make this delicious shredded chicken. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta for an easy kid friendly meal.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy | This yummy crockpot meal is made with chicken breasts, sour cream, two packets of chicken gravy mix, and a can of cream of chicken soup to make the most delicious shredded chicken for mashed potatoes or rice. — Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy

6. Lazy Shepherd’s Pie

This classic Shepherd’s Pie recipe has been made extra easy with a short shopping list. The combination of ingredients makes a main dish that is not only nutritious, but insanely delicious.

Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe made with Ground Beef | A dinner casserole made with layers of seasoned ground beef, mashed potatoes, and cheese to make a meals suitable for a large family with kids. — Recipe: Lazy Shepherd’s Pie

7. Frozen Burrito Dinner Casserole

If you think frozen burritos are dry and boring, wait until you smother them in enchilada sauce and cheese! You can customize this easy dinner every time you make it with a variety of different burritos options, as well as various flavors and brands of sauce.

Frozen Burrito Casserole | An easy way to make smothered burritos using frozen burritos and enchilada sauce. This effortless dinner is perfect for busy moms who don't like to cook. — Recipe: Frozen Burrito Casserole

8. Cheesy Baked Tortellini & Meat Sauce

Cream cheese may not be an ingredient you think of when it comes to pasta sauce, but it makes everything extra creamy and delicious! You’ve got to try it in this trending ground beef dinner casserole.

Cheesy Baked Tortellini with Meat Sauce | This pasta casserole is the most delicious comfort food you'll ever make. Mix together cooked tortellini with pasta sauce, cream cheese, ground beef, and cheese. Top with more cheese and bake until golden brown. — Recipe: Cheesy Baked Tortellini

9. Stuffing Meatloaf

I’ve never been excited about meatloaf, but the Stove Top Stuffing in this recipe is a game changer. Not only does it make the prep effortless with just a few ingredients to combine, it creates the best flavor and texture a meatloaf can get.

Stuffing Meatloaf | An easier way to make meatloaf using a box of Stove Top stuffing. Serve with mashed potatoes and watch your family gobble it up. — Recipe: Stuffing Meatloaf

10. Creamy Garlic Sausage Pasta

Tired of eating ground beef for dinner? Try sausage instead! It’s wonderful tossed with pasta in this creamy homemade garlic sauce. Toss in the veggies of your choice to make the meal complete.

Creamy Garlic Sausage Pasta Skillet | A fun dinner idea made in less than 20 minutes! You've got to try ground sausage for dinner. — Recipe: Creamy Sausage Pasta

11. Cheeseburger Casserole

If you have picky kids at home, this simple dinner idea is a total hit! You seriously can’t go wrong with combining cheesy hamburger meat with pasta, and the tomato soup is the perfect addition to bring everything together.

Cheeseburger Dinner Casserole | If you're looking for cheap dinner ideas for a family with kids, this pasta and ground beef dinner is perfect for busy school nights. It's also great leftover so you can get several meals out of it. — Recipe: Cheeseburger Casserole

12. Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

If you’re a busy mom on a budget, canned chicken is a pantry staple you’ve got to try for making last minute dinners! Not only is it cheap and convenient, It’s incredible in this cheesy dinner casserole, as well as lots of other oven baked meals.

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole with a Crispy Corn Flake Topping | A healthy dinner recipe that's easy to slap together on busy weeknights. — Recipe: Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

13. Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas are my kids’ absolute favorite dinner recipe, and this creamy recipe is always on rotation at my house. It’s become incredibly popular on Pinterest for a reason! It’s quick to throw together and very tasty.

Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas | A popular enchilada recipe made with rotisserie chicken and cream cheese. — Recipe: Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas

14. Cheeseburger Biscuit Casserole

If you love cheeseburgers but don’t want to be outside cooking on the grill, this recipe is for you. Replace burger buns with refrigerated biscuits to make these yummy cheeseburger biscuits in your oven.

Cheeseburger Biscuits | A unique way to make hamburgers in the oven with refrigerated biscuits and cheese. — Recipe: Cheeseburger Biscuits

15. Creamy Shredded Chicken Tacos

A slow cooker is a life saver for busy parents with a family to feed! My kids are always up for tacos, and this recipe takes them up a notch. Combine chicken breasts, salsa, cream cheese and taco seasoning into your Crockpot to make this rich and creamy shredded chicken. Serve in tortillas or over rice!

Creamy Shredded Chicken Tacos | A simple crockpot meal made with chicken breasts, salsa, cream cheese and taco seasoning. — Recipe: Creamy Chicken Tacos

16. Meatball Cupcakes

Frozen meatballs wrapped in buttery refrigerated dough and topped with pizza sauce and cheese. A super fun and easy handheld dinner made in a mini muffin pan!

Meatball Cupcakes | This fun dinner is a savory way to make dinner in the shape of a cupcake. Your kids will love this handheld dinner! They are like mini meatball subs. — Recipe: Meatball Cupcakes

17. Creamy Ranch Baked Chicken

This easy chicken dinner recipe pairs wonderfully with just about anything! You simply top a few chicken breasts with this heavenly mixture and bake everything up in one pan. Serve with pasta, rice, potatoes, veggies, salad, or anything else you’d like.

Creamy Ranch Baked Chicken | Chicken breasts in a large baking dish smothered in a mixture of cream cheese, mayo, ranch seasoning, cheddar cheese and bacon to make a filling and yummy family dinner. — Recipe: Creamy Ranch Baked Chicken

18. Smash Burgers

Seasoned ground beef smashed onto flour tortillas and then cooked on a hot griddle to create an irresistible fusion of cheeseburgers and tacos. Fun to eat, and even more fun to make! These are great for a summer cook-out or even camping with your Blackstone.

Smash Burger Tacos | This creative dinner combines two classic comfort foods-- tacos and cheese burgers! If you have a Blackstone griddle they are fast to make all at once. — Recipe: Smash Burger Tacos

19. Chicken Parmesan Pasta Casserole

If you have picky eaters to feed, this rotisserie chicken dinner is a piece of cake to throw together on busy school nights. Customize it to your liking with your favorite pasta sauce and seasonings.

Chicken Parmesan Pasta Casserole | This Italian inspired dinner is great for a family with picky eaters. Mix cooked pasta with pasta sauce, rotisserie chicken, cheese, and seasoning and place everything into a baking dish. Sprinkle with an easy panko topping mixture and bake until warm and bubbly. — Recipe: Chicken Parmesan Pasta Casserole

20. Garlic Toast Pizzas

Everyone loves pizza, and you won’t believe how easy it is to make when you use frozen garlic toast for your crust! This quick meal is simple enough for older kids and teenagers to make for themselves.

Garlic Toast Pizzas | A simple meal easy enough for kids to make themselves. If you have older kids and teenagers at home keep frozen garlic toast on hand for making these last minute mini pizzas. — Recipe: Garlic Toast Pizzas

21. Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed full of cheesy, taco seasoned ground beef, and then smothered in enchilada sauce in large baking dish. Yes, please!

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells | Jumbo pasta shells stuffed full of cheesy ground beef and topped with enchilada sauce and more cheese to make a fusion of Mexican and Italian food. — Recipe: Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

22. Chicken Parmesan Sliders

These mini sandwiches are a cinch to make thanks to frozen chicken nuggets, pasta sauce, cheese and Hawaiian rolls. Once you’ve got everything assembled, drench them in garlic butter and bake until hot and melty.

Chicken Parmesan Sliders | Baked mini sandwiches made with Hawaiian rolls, frozen chicken nuggets, pasta sauce, cheese, and melted garlic butter. These are awesome for sleepovers and after school snacks when your kids have friends over. — Recipe: Chicken Parmesan Sliders

23. Cheeseburger Biscuit Bombs

Refrigerated biscuits stuffed full of cheesy hamburger, pickles and bacon. Kids especially love these stuffed biscuits because they’re fun to dip in their favorite condiments.

Cheeseburger Biscuit Bombs | A fun handheld dinner made with refrigerated biscuits, ground beef, cheese, bacon and pickles. Kids love dipping these mini burgers in ketchup! — Recipe: Cheeseburger Biscuit Bombs

24. Chicken Zucchini & Stuffing Casserole

This comforting casserole is a breeze to make with just a handful of ingredients including rotisserie chicken, a box of stuffing, fresh zucchini, butter, sour cream and chicken soup. The stuffing is loaded with all the seasonings and flavors you need!

Chicken Zucchini Casserole with Stuffing | If you have a lot of hectic weeknights, try making your family this easy dinner recipe. It's great with fresh zucchini but can be made with the veggies of your choice. — Recipe: Chicken & Zucchini Dinner Casserole

25. Cheesy Tater Tot Dinner Casserole

When you top a casserole with crispy tater tots, guess what happens? Everyone goes back for seconds! This hearty dish is loaded with cheesy ground beef mixed with cream of mushroom soup. Mix in the veggies of your choice, and you’ve got a complete meal your entire family will love.