7 Family-Friendly Recipes your kids will love

Grown-ups and kids will love these family-friendly recipes. Our simple suppers include speedy stir-fries, warming one-pots, and comforting pasta bakes.

#1. Simple Stir-Fry

This wholesome stir-fry includes noodles, veggies, and prawns. It makes for an excellent meal for busy weeknights.

Time required: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 200 g cooked egg noodles
• 200 g shredded chicken breast, flaked salmon, or cooked prawns
• 6 tsp sweet chili sauce
• 4 ½ tsp reduced salt soy sauce
• 1 cm grated ginger
• 1 sliced garlic clove

500 g veggies of your choice such as pak choi, cabbage, red peppers, courgettes, broccoli, baby corn, and carrots, sliced or finely chopped

Instructions:

• Heat oil in a large wok and fry the ginger and garlic for 60 seconds.
• Add the veggies and toss a few times to coat. Continue to fry for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
• Stir in the chili and soy sauce and mix well.
• Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables turn tender. Toss in the chicken, salmon, or prawns and heat through.
• Serve over the noodles.

Nutrition per serving:

• Salt: 1.5 g
• Protein: 14 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Sugar: 5 g
• Carbs: 23 g
• Saturates: 0.4 g
• Fat: 4 g
• Kcal: 193

#2. One Pan Veg and Egg Brunch

With eggs, peppers, and courgette, this dish makes for a healthy breakfast for the complete family. Kids love dripping toast into the soft egg yolk.

Time required: 30 minutes

Serves: 2 adults and 2 children

Ingredients:

• 1 knob of butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 crushed clove of garlic
• 2 finely sliced spring onions
• 1 red pepper cut into small pieces
• 1 yellow pepper, cut into small pieces
• 300 g halved and boiled baby potatoes
• 1 courgette, cut into small pieces
• ½ tbsp rapeseed oil
• Toasts, to serve

Instructions:

• Heat oil in a large non-stick pan. Add potatoes, peppers, courgette, pepper, and salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring in between.
• Once everything begins to brown, add the thyme, garlic, and onion and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Divide the pan into four spaces. Crack in the eggs and cover with a lid or foil and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.
• Sprinkle thyme leaves and pepper and serve with warm toasts.

Nutrition per serving:

• Salt: 0.22 g
• Protein: 9 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Sugar: 5 g
• Carbs: 15 g
• Saturates: 2 g
• Fat: 7 g
• Kcal: 170

#3. 3-Vegetables Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Sneak vegetables into the usual mac n cheese to make it healthier. Peas, leeks, and mushrooms make it more nutritious.

Time required: 50 minutes

Serves: 2 adults and 2 children

Ingredients:

• A slice of day-old brown bread blitzed to crumbs
• 175 g Cheddar cheese
• 100 g frozen peas
•  600 ml of milk
• 25 g all-purpose flour
• 1 finely sliced leek
• 40 g butter
• 300 g pasta of your choice, cooked
• 150 g mushrooms or butternut squash, cut into small pieces and steamed

Instructions:

• Heat butter in a pan and add the leek. Cook for 1-2 minutes before stirring in the flour and cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
• Remove the pan from heat and slowly whisk in the milk.
• Bring back the pan to heat and let the milk come to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
• Toss in the peas and continue to simmer.
• Remove the pan from heat and stir in the mushrooms before adding half of the cheese.
• Add in the pasta sauce before transferring it to an oven-proof dish. Grate the remaining cheese on top, drizzle the breadcrumbs and bake for 18-20 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
• Serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving:

• Salt: 1.25 g
• Protein: 29 g
• Fiber: 7 g
• Sugar: 12 g
• Carbs: 69 g
• Saturates: 19 g
• Fat: 31 g
• Kcal: 680

#4. Classic Lasagne

Children will love to help assemble this easy pasta bake with gooey mozzarella, beef mince, and bacon.

Time required: 75 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• A handful of basil leaves, roughly torn
• 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 125 g roughly torn mozzarella cheese
• 400 ml crème fraîche
• 500 g egg lasagne sheets
• 3 tsp honey
• 2 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
• 500 g beef mince
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1 grated carrot
• 1 finely chopped celery stick
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 2 rashers smoked streaky bacon, cut into small pieces
• 3 tsp olive oil

Instructions:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add the bacon and let it cook until it begins turning golden.
• Toss in the carrot and celery and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring in between until tender.
• Add garlic and cook for a minute before adding the beef mince. Let it cool a little before adding the tomatoes. Fill the cans with some water to rinse out all the remaining tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add honey, season, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• Heat an oven to 220°C. Begin assembling the lasagne by spreading the rage sauce at the bottom of the tin/casserole dish.
• Place lasagne sheets on the sauce and repeat with more sauce and one more layer of pasta. Repeat with 2 more layers of sauce and pasta and remember to finish with a layer of pasta.
• In a bowl add the crème fraîche with 6 tsp water to loosen it and make a smooth paste.
• Pour it over the pasta before topping it with mozzarella cheese.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
• Sprinkle basil leaves before serving.

Nutrition per serving:

• Salt: 1.1 g
• Protein: 37 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Sugar: 13 g
• Carbs: 54 g
• Saturates: 30 g
• Fat: 52 g
• Kcal: 844

#5. Meatball Burgers

You’re going to love our recipe if you love Swedish meatballs. For this recipe, we transformed them into a burger so that even the fussiest kids love it. Choose pork mince or beef, the flavor will be exceptional, we promise!

Time required: 25 minutes + 1 hour for chilling

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• Nutmeg, grated
• 25 g dry breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 onion, grated
• 500 g pork mince or lean beef
• Black pepper and salt, to taste

To serve:

• Lingonberry sauce
• Sliced tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Sliced cheese
• Burger buns

Directions:

• Add black pepper, garlic powder, salt, nutmeg, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, and mince to a bowl and mix until well combined.
• Divide into 6 equal proportions before shaping them into patties. Transfer to a flat dish/plate before covering and chilling for an hour or overnight.
• Heat the barbecue to medium and cook the burgers for 10 minutes, turning frequently until cooked through and lightly charred. Add sliced cheese and cook during the last 2 minutes if you like.
• Place lettuce in the bun along with lingonberry sauce and tomato along with the burger and serve immediately.

Tip: The burgers can be pan-fried or grilled for 10 minutes turning occasionally.

Nutrition per serving:

• Salt: 0.2 g
• Protein: 18 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Sugar: 2 g
• Carbs: 5 g
• Saturates: 3 g
• Fat: 9 g
• Kcal: 175

#6. Tomato Soup

This tomato soup is guaranteed to remind you of your childhood. Plus, it’s easy to make and requires little supervision.

Time required: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 600 ml of milk
• A dash of bicarbonate soda
• A few basil leaves
• 400 g tomatoes chopped
• 3 tsp tomato purée
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 tsp olive oil

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a large pan and add garlic and onion to it.
• Cover with a lid over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes or until onion softens.
• Add the tomato purée along with basil leaves and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until the soup turns thick and flavourful.
• To make a smooth soup, use a hand blender to blend the soup into a smooth sauce. If you like, you can cool and freeze this for a period of 30 days.
• To finish making the soup, add the tomato mix to the pan.
• Add baking soda to a bowl and pour 3 tsp milk before mixing until no lumps remain.
• Stir it into the soup before adding the remaining milk.
• Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat once it starts to froth. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
• Garnish with basil leaves and serve immediately with crunchy croutons.

Nutrition per serving:

• Salt: 0.51 g
• Protein: 7 g
• Fiber: 11 g
• Sugar: 11 g
• Carbs: 13 g
• Saturates: 2 g
• Fat: 2 g
• Kcal: 151

#7. Mushroom Soup

This comforting soup allows you to make the most of mushrooms. The subtle taste of garlic, onion, and cream makes this soup perfect for a starter or lunch when served with warm, crusty bread.

Time required: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• A few leaves of parsley, chopped
• 12 tbsp single cream
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 l hot chicken stock
• 6 tsp plain flour
• 500 g button or chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 2 onions, chopped
• 90 g butter

Directions:

• Begin by heating butter in a large pan and adding garlic and onion to it. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until they turn soft but not brown.
• Toss in the mushrooms and cook on high heat for 3 minutes or until softened. Add the flour and give it a good stir.
• Stir in the chicken stock and let the mixture come to a boil before adding the bay leaf and reducing the heat to low.
• Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before turning off the heat. Use a hand mixer to blend the mixture into a smooth sauce.
• Reheat the soup and add the cream and cook for 30 seconds.
• Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving:

• Salt: 1.8 g
• Protein: 11 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Sugar: 5 g
• Carbs: 14 g
• Saturates: 14 g
• Fat: 22 g
• Kcal: 309

The Takeaway

All these four family-friendly recipes are so tasty it’ll be hard for even the pickiest of eaters to resist them! Don’t believe us?

Give these recipes a chance. We’re sure your little ones will be asking for seconds in no time! The best part, though? They’re super easy to make and require little supervision.

Did you try any of our recipes? How was your experience? Tell us in the comments section below!