Quick and easy dinners the kids can prepare

Having your kids help with the cooking is great for so many reasons – they’re more likely to eat what they’ve made themselves, it’s a fun activity for you all to enjoy together, you’ll be giving your kids skills to set them up for life and (eventually, at least) it means less work for you to do! So what are you waiting for?

Fish

We’d all love our kids to eat more fish – these are fun and easy to make and will guarantee the kids will be hoeing in at mealtime.

1. Salmon parcels

Your kids will love assembling these little parcels, and it just might encourage them to eat more fish.

See here for the Salmon parcels recipe.

2. Friday fish bake

This is kind of like a tuna mornay, but it’s super easy for the kids to assist with bunging it all in a big tray, and it has that creamy flavour they’ll love.

See here for the Friday fish bake recipe.

3. Healthy fish fingers

What kid doesn’t love fish and chips for dinner? Opt for a healthier version than the store-bought variety by making it yourself, or rather, getting the kids to make it themselves – they’ll love working at the ‘crumbing station’!

See here for the Healthy fish fingers recipe.

Pizza

4. Mini pizza torpedoes

These use little bake-at-home rolls, which means your kids can tailor each one to suit their own tastebuds! No more pizza arguments!

See here for the Mini pizza torpedoes recipe.

5. Ham and pineapple calzones

As far as winning flavours combos go, ham and pineapple is hard to beat and children will love helping you make the dough and then creating these pizza foldovers. They’re also great to freeze for school lunches the next day.

See here for the Ham and pineapple calzones recipe.

6. Basic pizza dough

Once your family has mastered this basic pizza dough recipe, it will become a weekly tradition – and you’ll never want to dial out for a pizza again!

See here for the Basic pizza dough recipe.

Chicken

Not only is chicken one of the most versatile proteins around, it’s also one of the easiest to cook. And kids love it! Which makes it a no-brainer for the ideal kids’ meal.

7. Chicken teriyaki meatballs

The teriyaki flavour is not too intense for kids and they’ll love getting their hands dirty shaping the meatballs.

See here for the Chicken teriyaki meatballs recipe.

8. Easy chicken parmigiana

Dipping the chicken into flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs will seem like the most fun craft project ever for your little ones. And better yet, they’ll love eating the final product!

See here for the Easy chicken parmigiana recipe.

9. Slow cooker butter chicken

Butter chicken is a great introduction to Indian food and curries for kids, with a mild, creamy flavour they’ll adore. And they’ll love helping you throw it all in the slow cooker at the beginning of the day and coming home to see what they’ve created!

See here for the Slow cooker butter chicken recipe.

10. Slow cooker chicken casserole

This meal is wonderful to come home to on a cold evening, and it’s so quick and easy to prepare that the kids can help you do it before school.

See here for the Slow cooker chicken casserole recipe.

11. Popcorn chicken

The name alone will have the kids jumping up and down to help you prepare this dish, but they’ll also love gobbling it up afterwards.

See here for the Popcorn chicken recipe.

Pasta

Pasta and kids – it’s a culinary match made in heaven. And they’ll love it even more when they’ve chipped in to help create it!

12. Pesto pasta

Getting the kids involved in making their own pasta from scratch is an incredibly enjoyable rainy day activity – and when topped with homemade pesto sauce, the end result is irresistible too!

See here for the Pesto pasta recipe.

13. 3 ingredient mac and cheese

Perfect winter comfort food, this is so easy to prepare that the kids could all but do it themselves.

See here for the 3 ingredient mac and cheese recipe.

14. Simple fettucini carbonara

Kids go crazy for this creamy and filling meal, and it’s so easy that it’s a great introduction to cooking.

See here for the Simple fettucini carbonara recipe.

15. Slow cooker spaghetti bolognaise

Yes, it’s stating the obvious to say that spaghetti bolognaise is a perennial kids’ favourite, but this slow cooker version is a great way for them to help you make it without worrying about them burning their fingers at the stovetop.

See here for the Slow cooker spaghetti bolognaise recipe.

16. Tray-baked penne with meatballs

The only thing your kids will love more than making these yummy meatballs, is devouring the oven-baked goodness afterwards!

See here for the Tray baked penne with meatballs recipe.

17. Quick-ish spinach and ricotta cannelloni

Your kids will have the best fun rolling up the pasta sheets to make these cannelloni, and it’s a great way for them to get a bit of spinach in their diet.

See here for the Quick-ish spinach and ricotta cannelloni recipe.

Mexican

Kids love Mexican flavours and the self-serve style of dishes makes them lots of fun too prepare, too.

18. Tasty tacos

Kids will get a huge kick out of preparing and assembling their own tacos – and they’ll get an equal amount of enjoyment at crunching into them.

See here for the Tasty tacos recipe.

19. Quick pork fajitas

Likewise, the kids will love the ‘serve yourself’ aspect of the dish, and you’ll love that they’re willingly piling their plates with fresh healthy fare.