How To Prepare Simple Italian Meals That Your Kids Will Love

When you have kids around the house, you know it’s important to have quick and simple meals on hand to satisfy their sometimes limited palate. This doesn’t mean that you have to settle for hot dogs or mac 'n' cheese every night. You can fill your home with the hearty, rich flavors of Italian cuisine without a lot of trouble by trying a few classic recipes that will have your kids, even the picky ones, begging for more.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is one recipe that is popular in most households and takes very little time to prepare. With even the simplest of recipes, you will win over the hearts and taste buds of your little ones. There are a variety of ways you can make this recipe but the main ingredients you need are pasta, sauce, and ground beef or pork. Other ingredients such as garlic, Parmesan cheese, onions, and green bell peppers can be added as you wish.

However, if you are pressed for time or if you have some finicky eaters in the house, the basics are a great way to keep everyone happy and full. Once you get a basic recipe down, you can also turn the same ingredients into a casserole style spaghetti bake. Either way, kids are unlikely to pass up a plate filled with this Italian treat.

Personal Pizzas

This is a great way to get the kids involved and let them help decide how they want to build their own pizza. Start with the pizza crust. You can use a refrigerated crust and just roll it out and cut it into individual size portions. Get creative and use cookie cutters to make the crust into shapes that the kids will enjoy. Once the crusts are cut out, bake them until lightly browned, remove and let cool.

Set out the pizza sauce and any other toppings the kids might like. Cooked Italian sausage, pepperoni, and cheese are usually a good place to start. If your kids want to venture away from this basic pizza, set out ingredients such as diced ham, pineapple, green peppers, olives, onion, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Of course, you can always put out a few more varieties of cheese. Then bake the pizzas for a few minutes until the cheese melts. When they come out, the kids have their own specially made pizza.

Lasagna

A tried and true recipe that will be a huge hit for any kid. Lasagna can be made many different ways, and contrary to what you might think, there is no real difficulty in preparation. You will need your basic lasagna noodles, meat, sauce, Mozzarella cheese, and Ricotta or cottage cheese. You can also eliminate the meat entirely or substitute chicken in the recipe. Add additional ingredients such as tomatoes, garlic, onions, and oregano for even more flavor if you like. The main components of your lasagna dish should be whatever kids are willing to eat. One tip is to be sure to include enough cheese. Kids will gobble down just about any dish if it's gooey and cheesy.

The kids can have fun helping out with this recipe, placing the noodles in the dish and adding layer after layer. You don't even have to bother cooking the noodles if you don't want to. Look for lasagna noodles that are 'oven-ready' or 'no-boil' to make construction even easier for the little ones, encouraging them to help even more.

To improve a finicky eater's diet, be sure to get them involved choosing meals and giving them a part in the cooking process. You will be amazed at how excited kids get about trying new foods when they had their hand in the meal. Another bonus is your children will surely use these skills as an adult and won’t forget the fundamental building blocks you set for them. Have fun creating simple kid-friendly Italian meals and enjoy the extra time with your little ones.