20 recipes to satisfy even the hungriest child
The crew at Taste.com.au know what it’s like when a child is super hungry. So they’ve pulled together 20 of their top kid-friendly recipes to make your life easier (and quell that bambino’s starvation pangs).
So we’ve rounded up our most clicked-on, most-cooked and top-rated kid-friendly recipes to keep hanger at bay. They’re all easy to make and don’t require a heap of prep time, so they’re perfect for busy parents.
We’ve got recipes for every hangry scenario (post-school snack, breakfast ideas when you’re running late, fill-them-up-and-get-them-into-bed weeknight dinners) and even a few treats – but nothing super unhealthy and many packed with fruit and veg to keep them balanced.
We tried and tested all these on the taste team kids – with a big tick of approval.
Our members’ reviews speak for themselves too.
Mini okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes)
These Osaka-style pancakes are often made with cabbage or spring onion, topped with a strong, sweet okonomi sauce (similar to barbecue sauce) and striped with Kewpie mayonnaise.
This quick and easy slice is a great addition to the lunchboxes of kids and adults alike!
Pasta with simple tomato sauce
This recipe is vegan friendly.
For a savoury snack that’s quick and easy to make, these spinach and feta muffins hit the spot. Filled with tasty and nutritious ingredients, eat these on the go or pack into school lunches.
Don’t let the name deceive you: this ham and cheese quiche recipe is actually incredibly possible to make. Not all quiche recipes are created equal, and this impossible quiche recipe is simple, quick and full of nutritious, everyday ingredients.
Nut-free cacao and coconut bliss balls
These nut-free chocolate and coconut bliss balls are the perfect bliss balls for kids.
15-minute chicken, broccoli and cashew stir-fry
From kitchen to table in just 15 minutes, this fragrant chicken, broccoli and cashew stir-fry is a weeknight winner.
Air fryer French onion chicken pastries
This is a great way to elevate the humble supermarket barbecue chicken into an easy lunch. (Or you can just use your roast chicken leftovers). Add everyone’s favourite retro ingredient of the moment - french onion soup mix - to the chopped chicken and bacon and it’s destined to become your new favourite air fryer recipe.
The kids will love this sweet and tasty breakfast idea.
We’ve baked lots of scones in our time, but we think we’ve finally discovered the best-ever scone recipe, and it’s a lot easier than you think to make this scone dough. With roots in Britain, scones are not only iconic because of how delicious they are, but also due to them being the instigator of ‘jam or cream first’ debates across the world (jam first, always). And clotted cream, when available.
Australia, meet the ultimate scrambled eggs recipe. This super-easy method will result in perfectly fluffy, creamy scrambled egg every time.
Without adding any extra vegies, this shepherd’s pie recipe has 3 1/2 serves of vegetables - making it a perfect family meal.
These feta and spinach pasties make clever party pieces for even the most demanding crowd.
The perfect baked potatoes are slightly crispy on the outside and soft in the interior. Try them with these topping suggestions or try a few combinations of your own.
White chocolate and raspberry muffins
White chocolate and raspberries are a classic combo and we just love them together in these fluffy muffins.
Spinach and feta triangles meet Turkish gozleme in this easy finger food recipe.
It’s easy to see why pasta carbonara is loved in households all over Australia - it’s creamy with a salty bite, requires few ingredients and takes minutes to pull together. It also claims the title of the most controversial pasta sauce for being at the centre of the ‘cream or no cream’ debate. Traditionally, carbonara contains no cream and instead achieves its glossiness from the eggs. Hear us out - this one is non-traditional and includes cream… for good reason. The cream adds a richness to the sauce that’s perfect for when you’re looking for something more saucy and indulgent - and it also helps stabilise the egg. Paired with pancetta and parmesan, this carbonara sauce is the perfect accompaniment to any style of pasta you like (our personal favourite is spaghetti!)
No need to reach for the packets with these ready-in-a-flash nachos.
Australian banana bread recipe
With more than 800 reviews, our best banana bread recipe is taste.com.au’s most popular, beating out more than 100 contenders. I believe the secret lies in its simplicity and letting a few ingredients do the heavy lifting. While it’s easy to make banana bread, I think a few simple tricks and a little know-how can go a long way toward making the best version possible. Originally created by Kerrie Sun, this much-loved recipe has been tried and tested (and re-tested!) to perfection over the years.
Pressure cooker chicken risotto
Use your pressure cooker to create a tasty risotto. It’s the easiest, quickest way and the results are delicious.
For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.
Originally published as 20 recipes to satisfy even the hungriest child
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