Macheesmo

I’ve been writing a column called Eat Your Food! for Simply Recipes for over a year now. The column comes out every two weeks so I’ve amassed a nice little archive of these recipes! The idea behind Eat Your Food! is simple, weekday recipes that are very kid-friendly. Many of the recipes have a twist to introduce new flavors for kids.

In every column, I include a Dad Add which is something on the side I make to spice up the recipe for adults and also a full Report Card where I report on if my kids actually ate the recipe. I’m honest!

I thought it would be fun to go through 10 of my favorite Eat Your Food! recipes from the last year!

If you’ve read my column on Simply Recipes, leave a comment!

In no particular order…

Ginger Pork Rice Bowls

This is one of my all-time favorite Eat Your Food columns. It was a huge hit with my kids, had a good mix of flavors and colors, and made great lunches with leftovers. Plus, it’s so fast to make! Just writing about it now makes me want to make it this week!

Chicken Piccata Pasta

This is one of the recipes that my kids absolutely crush. They like the pasta and the lightly fried chicken. Plus, the lemon flavors are approachable and easy. It’s the perfect mix of kid-friendly but also grown up.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Frying taquitos is standard, but kind of a lot of work for a random weeknight. This baked version is really wonderful though. You can make them completely in advance also. Big tip: Cream cheese in the filling! Trust me!

Cheese and Trees Quesadillas

If you are eating these as an adult, the pico is essential. Otherwise, they are a bit on the bland side. I was surprised at how much I liked them though with the spicy pico topping. Always a hit!

Easy Chicken Mac and Cheese

Okay, this isn’t technically an Eat Your Food column but it would’ve been if the column existed when I wrote this recipe. Using rotisserie chicken and a quick homemade macaroni and cheese is an awesome start. You can eat it right out of the pot (my preference) or make it in advance and bake it like a casserole.

Cheesy Baked Hot Dogs

To be honest, my kids won’t eat hot dogs like this. They want the basic dog in a bun situation. That’s fine though. If I’m going to eat a hot dog, I want it like this – baked with cheese and loads of toppings.

Ginger Steamed Salmon

You cannot feed your kids exactly what they want every night. Doing so is a downward spiral into chicken nuggets every night. This steamed salmon is a boundary pusher for most kids, but the flavors are very delicious and approachable. My kids really like salmon in large part because of recipes like this.

Goldfish Crusted Chicken Tenders

Do you have a huge jug of goldfish in your pantry? Congratulations. You’re a parent. I came up with this idea solely as a kid idea, but the truth is that I can’t resist them. Crunchy cheesy crust on chicken tenders? They are delicious.

Easy Chicken Lo Mein

This dish is my effort to get my kids to try some new veggies and more importantly get use to the idea that food doesn’t always have to be separated on your plate. This is a beginner stir-fry noodle dish that doesn’t require many crazy ingredients. Give it a shot!

Crispy Panko Fish Sticks

It’s really easy to beat frozen fish sticks. These cook fast and you can bake or fry them. If you want to introduce kids to fish, this is about as surefire a recipe as I can imagine. Kids LOVE these. To make them interesting for adults, try out my chili malt vinegar dip!