Top 4 KID-FRIENDLY recipes to make your week simple

As we learned in the last post (it’s here if you didn’t catch it) things that can decrease your stress can improve your pelvic floor function and libido as well! I shared how I make a slow cooker of chicken breasts most weeks and do all my meal planning from there. Some weeks, we opt for some beef, but we do chicken much of the time.

I want to share with you my top 4 go-to recipes for my family. These recipes are all kid-friendly and approved by my two girls (11 months and almost 3 years at the time of this post). We are busy and like to keep things relatively healthy and simple. We add veggies where we can and know we aren’t perfect. If you are in a season of life with young kids and meal planning isn’t a passion of yours, you know exactly what I mean! 

Before we jump into these 4 kid-friendly chicken recipes, I want to share a list of things we keep on hand that allow us to make any of these recipes without going to the store. As you can see, we rely heavily on frozen vegetables in this phase of life! 

1. Frozen broccoli florets

2. Frozen stir fry veggie mix (any kind, there are many to choose from)

3. Frozen corn

4. Frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas, green beans, corn)

5. Frozen peas

6. Frozen tater tots

7. Tortillas

8. Minute white rice

9. Canned black beans

10. Shredded colby-jack cheese (or your favorite cheese blend) - we buy a huge bag

11. Salsa

12. Favorite Asian sauce from a jar (we enjoy Panda’s orange chicken sauce and Panda’s sweet and tangy sauce)

13. Ranch dressing

14. Frank’s buffalo sauce

15. Plain greek yogurt (we use this mostly for breakfasts but in the occasional casserole too)

16. Cream of chicken soup (a great, easy addition to any casserole)

17. Spices of all kinds - garlic salt, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, minced garlic, salt, pepper

Here are our top 4 recipes to make with a crock pot full of chicken. You can make them all or repeat one of them throughout the week.

Chicken and cheese quesadillas

(makes 3 quesadillas - my kids usually eat ¼ quesadilla each)

These chicken and cheese quesadillas are a crowd-pleaser at our house! No dip needed, but some great options for dipping are ranch, plain greek yogurt, or salsa. We have a panini maker, which makes these super easy and fast to make, but you can also make them on a skillet.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups shredded chicken

• 2 ½ cups shredded cheese (colby-jack, fiesta blend, or mozzarella are our faves)

• 1 tsp garlic salt

• 6 flour tortillas

Directions:

• Place 3 tortillas each on one plate. Spread a thin layer of shredded cheese so the whole tortilla is covered.

• Then spread out shredded chicken on top of the cheese. 

• We like a little extra garlic salt on these, so we sprinkle some on the chicken

• Spread another layer of cheese, and place top tortilla on

• Place on panini maker, quesadilla maker, or skillet until lightly browned on both sides

Buffalo chicken casserole (hot dish as people call it in MN)

(about 8-10 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded chicken

• 2 cups shredded cheese, divided

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt

• 1 can cream of chicken soup

• 2-4 Tbsp Buffalo sauce (depending on desired spice level)

• ¼ cup ranch dressing, more for dipping

• ½  bag frozen mixed veggies or peas and carrots blend

• 1 bag of frozen tater tots

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F.

2. Mix chicken, 1 cup of cheese, yogurt, cream of chicken soup, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and frozen veggies in a large mixing bowl

3. Pour mixture into greased 9x13 baking dish

4. Line tater tots up on the top in rows

5. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top

6. Bake for 25-35 min, when the top is golden brown

Asian chicken and veggies

(about 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded chicken

• 1 bag frozen stir fry veggies

• 2 cups white or brown rice

• Favorite Asian sauce

Directions

1. Cook rice per package directions

2. Cook veggies per package directions

3. Mix chicken, veggies, and rice together or scoop desired amounts of each onto plates

4. Pour favorite sauce on top! 

Mexican casserole

(about 8-10 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded chicken

• 1 can black beans

• ½ bag frozen corn

• 1 jar (24 oz) salsa

• 2 cups uncooked rice

• 3 cups shredded cheese

• 2 tsp cumin

• ½ tsp oregano

• ½ tsp chili powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F

2. Cook rice per package directions

3. Mix chicken, black beans, corn, salsa, rice, and 1 cup of cheese in a large mixing bowl

4. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish

5. Spread mixture evenly into pan and top with remaining cheese

6. Bake for 30 min until heated through and cheese is golden brown on top

Other ideas that are a little bit more labor-intensive or take other ingredients not listed on the “staples” list: pasta salad with chicken, chicken alfredo, white chicken chili, and poppyseed chicken salad.

I hope these recipes are as much of a hit at your house as they are at mine! Let me know if you try any of these out and if you liked them!