10 Easy Dinner Recipes A Working Mom Can Teach Her Kids

Let me ask you a question, did you know how to cook when you left home?

I don’t mean opening cans and dumping them into a pot, although good job if you did. I mean real cooking. The kind that “sticks to your ribs” as my grandparents like to say.

I can say I did know how to cook, not just follow a recipe, thanks to the hard work of my mom.

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One of my goals for my children is to prepare them for life. I’ve been working on teaching them to fend for themselves in the kitchen over the last few months and honestly, they are doing really great.

My kids are both in double digits now (13 and 15), and I’m happy to say that I can count on them to make their own breakfast on a daily base. They also make most of their own lunches and snacks.

I’ve taught them basic cooking skills. They can use the stove and the oven. I trust them with the kitchen knives. Or I will after the Kids Cook Real Food course 🙂

Read our full review here: Homeschool Cooking Curriculum We Love – Our Experience With the Kids Cook Real Food Program

Therefore, we are ready to move on to the dinner menu.

I started collecting recipes I want to teach them to make. I scoured the internet in search. Oh, who am I kidding? I used Pinterest!

These recipes had to fit a certain criteria to be deemed worthy to make the list. They needed to be:

• Healthy
• Affordable
• Easy to follow
• Hearty, they are teenagers after all 😉

10 Easy Dinner Recipes To Teach Your Kids:

Before I share the list, I recommend taking note of any recipes you think your kids would like to make.

Grab these meal planning pages to help you get organized!

Start with simple recipes and don’t be afraid to adjust the recipe for your kids personal tastes. I’ll be sharing how we plan on doing that in some of the recipes below.

Ready? Here is the list!

1. Tuna Patties by Elise Bauer

This great thing about this recipe is that it is kid-friendly and budget-friendly!

It takes about 20 minutes total for 4 patties. There are 4 of us in the house so they get to work on a few math skills of doubling the recipe as well. This served with a side dish of choice would make a great, healthy, quick dinner.

Adjustments: We will probably be skipping the hot sauce since both my kids and I are wimps when it comes to spice.

Get the recipe here: Tuna Patties

2. Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry by Dinner at the Zoo 

One great way to get your kids excited about being in the kitchen is to talk about what meals they want to make. Mine choose stir-fry.

I kept an eye open for one when recipe hunting and I was happy to find this easy 30 minute meal.

She includes a video for visual learners and clear instructions. Easy to make and fast!

My daughter will be happy to see she mentions those who dislike mushrooms can add more broccoli.

The only ingredient I was slightly worried about was oyster sauce but I found it in my local store. Yay! If you can’t find it locally you can order it from Amazon oyster sauce .

Get the recipe here: Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

3. Beef Stir Fry, found at Food.com 

I really love my slow cooker recipe but the kids wanted to make one on the stove top.

I was happy to find this fast and simple recipe.

As for adjustments, you’ll find a list of changes others made mentioned if the children want to experiment.

Get the recipe: Beef Stir Fry.

Note: Stir fry is a great way to get the kids to try new veggies and practice their knife skills. If you haven’t had the time to teach them to use a knife properly and safely, I highly recommend this course.

4. Homemade Pizza

A number one requested Friday night meal therefore a must! I chose Quick and Easy Pizza Dough from Belly Full .

My kids love “taco anything” so I saved this Taco Pizza Recipe from Living Well Mom.

Adjustments: We will be using the homemade pizza dough linked above instead of the crescent rolls in the recipe.

She also mentioned you can make taco seasoning from scratch instead of using the prepackaged. That sounds like a fun project for kids!

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5. Cheesy Goodness Pasta Recipe for Kids by My Life and Kids

This looks great and easy. Created by kids for kids!

Of course,1 cup of pasta isn’t going to cut it with these guys but let the math skills begin. Says it makes 4 servings but I am thinking they are not teenagers!

Adjustments: I hope they omit the peas but my kids love peas so I highly doubt it. The adults however all them green snot balls. (ha!)

Get the recipe: Cheesy Goodness Pasta Recipe

6. Orange Chicken Recipe for Kids by My Life and Kids

Chinese food is a favorite here and this looks great, easy and yummy.

Created by kids for kids, which as a mom I really appreciate because the instructions are very clear!

This recipe uses 7 simple ingredients with green onions as optional. Total cooking time is 20 minutes.

Get the recipe: Orange Chicken Recipe

7. Kid-friendly, Freezer-friendly Three Bean Soup Recipe by Kitchen Stewardship

Soup is often created for lunch but this makes a great dinner meal on chilly days.

I love that it will introduce them to 3 different beans and is created for kids to make!

My children already make this bread .  Paired together it will be awesome.

Adjustments: I do not have an immersion hand blender but we do have a food processor. Use what you have!

Get the recipe: Kid-friendly, Freezer-friendly Three Bean Soup Recipe

8. Lasagna by Me

I love lasagna and the kids say mine is the best. I’ll take it.

It’s a great recipe to start with because it seems complicated but it is not. We started with them cooking it with my help several times but never on their own completely. That is the next step!

Adjustments: This recipe is CREATED to be changed, ha! I really focus on using what you have. It is simple and delicious.

Get the recipe:Lasagna

9. Sheppard’s Pie by Life in the Lofthouse. 

At first glace you may skip this one because the ingredient list is long on this one but easy to get.

Which means it is a great way to get your kids to learn to prepare different ingredients AND try new things.

I chose this one as casseroles to me are just one of those meals you should learn to make.

Adjustments: The recipe is great and has peas! So the kids will be thrilled. I chose this one as casseroles to me are just one of those meals you should learn to make.

Get the recipe: Sheppard’s Pie

10. One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies by Damn Delicious 

I really wanted them to learn to make a one pan recipe in the oven, this one fits the bill perfectly.

Takes about 45 minutes and the recipe comes with great instructions including a step by step video.

Love the suggestion to eat right out of the pan! Fun, simple, easy and comforting. And less dishes to wash.

Get the recipe: One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies

There you have it 10 easy dinner recipes you can teach your kids!

Teaching our kids to cook builds confidence, practical skills, and sets them up for life.

I use these steps to teach my children but if you don’t have the time or desire to teach them…Kids Cook Real Food online e-course is perfect for you.

Learn how to teach your kids to cook without stress and be sure to check out the curriculum map. 

Other Resources you might be interested in:

• How to Find the Time to Help Your Kids Learn to Cook
• 15 Breakfast Ideas For Kids to Cook For Themselves
• 25 Easy Lunch & Snack Ideas For A Busy Homeschool Mom
• 25 Cold Lunch Ideas Perfect For Your Picky Kids
• Get Kids Cooking On The Barbecue With These “Hot off The Grill” Recipes
• Homeschool Cooking Curriculum We Love – Our Experience With the Kids Cook Real Food Program

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