21 Best Recipes for Picky Eaters

Feeding the family can be tricky when you've got picky palates gathered around the table. Whether you're trying to sneak some vegetables into your meal or just hoping that dinner will get eaten, this collection of simple recipes will appeal to even the choosiest of eaters.

Salisbury Steak

"I absolutely loved this recipe. I served it over steamed rice with the sauce and my kids couldn't eat it fast enough! So good! I will definitely make this again."

-Angie A.

Chicken Enchiladas

"These enchiladas were AH-MAZING! I am not a big red enchilada sauce fan, and this is definitely one of the best white sauces I have had. Totally worth trying!"

-Nahajzer

Crispy Parmesan-Ranch Chicken Breasts

"I cut the chicken up into strips and then coated it with the cornflake mixture. The cook time was right on for the strips. Everyone loved them. I made them with sautéed squash and rice pilaf. What a great meal—everyone cleaned their plates, which is a big accomplishment in this house."

-Queenofcamping

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

"These are brilliant. I made these for supper this supper this evening and everyone loved them. The only addition I made was adding a bit of bourbon before baking and it added a lot of flavor and great glaze."

-Yummy Twin Mummy

Chocolate Chip Cookie Baked Oatmeal

"I quadrupled the recipe and used molasses instead of brown sugar. This is a really good recipe! Kids loved it even though two of them profess to hate oatmeal! My daughter saw me rate this and said, "That was oatmeal?!" It was a really good way to get something healthy in them."

-Z5370

Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

"Delicious—this was enjoyed in my home. I cooked the sausage in my 12-inch cast-iron skillet, then I set up the casserole in it and stuck the pan in the oven. One less dish to wash!"

-chef313633

Taco Salad

"This was one of the many salads that I served to over 25 guests at my mother's 85th birthday party—everybody enjoyed it! My daughter said the leftovers were even better when she added some chopped jalapeños for additional heat."

-CountryLady

Chicken & Dumplings

"The dumplings were light and had a delicious ('perfect' in my book) texture and flavor. My husband was very suspicious; his experience had always been with heavy, gooey dumplings—but he loved this. The secret to a light dumpling is to never lift the lid until they're done (just like cooking rice)."

-KK7707

Sunday Gravy

"This was so simple to put together, and everything worked. The meatballs, the sauce, the Italian sausage... I served this over a bed of linguini along with garlic bread. The sauce clung perfectly to every strand of pasta. One of my guests said it was like eating in a little Italian restaurant in New York."

-yooper

Penne Casserole with Chicken & Broccoli

"I don't usually like casseroles, but I had most of the ingredients in the house so decided to try it. It was very, very good. I had some large chunks of good quality frozen broccoli, that I just added to the pasta the last five minutes of cooking, and it turned out perfectly. Used some fajita spiced store-bought chicken, which gave it a little kick."

-Andtototoo

Skillet Franks & Beans

"We got nailed with 10 inches of snow and a pantry that was close to bare of anything my husband considers edible. Quick search on Food.com and found this recipe. It was fast, easy, tasty, child- and husband-friendly."

-K9 Owned

Easy Macaroni & Cheese

"I made this tonight for my two- and five-year-old, who are very picky when it comes to mac and cheese. They both loved it! I read that some added Old Bay to theirs, so I just sprinkled a bit on top of my own portion... Delicious!"

-Cronny32

Pizza Meatloaf Cups

"My kids and I really enjoyed these. I'm a dad that likes to experiment with the kids for Wednesday's dinner. For a bit of a kick we added some green bell pepper, onions and some chopped up pepperoni for an extra bit of flavor."

-68 Whiskey

Tuna Noodle Casserole

"Yum! I don't like fish and so my poor family—who loves fish—never gets to eat it. I have always been able to tolerate a little tuna casserole though, and this was absolutely delicious! Can't wait to experiment with different veggies too."

-WINNIE246

Hamburger Stroganoff

"Easy, tasty and inexpensive to make. You can add mushrooms or a dash of Worcestshire sauce. Went over well with the family and definitely will make again and often."

-Babyoil

Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts

"My family devoured this! I flipped the chicken over when I added the rice and it was moist and delicious. Next time I'm adding capers."

-azhikerchick

Easy Baked Cod

"My young kids loved this dinner. I cooked it probably closer to 17 minutes and served some creamy Caesar on the side as a dipping sauce to encourage the young ones to try it. They asked me to also make it the next night."

-cooksterkris

Lemon Chicken Milanese

"I was so pleasantly surprised by how great this tasted with the lemon juice squeezed over it! And it was so quick to make that I know I'll be making it again. Followed the recipe exactly and wouldn't change a thing!"

-breezermom

Taco Bell Quesadillas

"This is my new 'go-to' quesadilla recipe. The sauce was fantastic. We really enjoyed this, my three-year-old couldn't get enough and my husband (who is picky) actually requested them again—which never happens."

-partysweets

30-Minute Chicken Noodle Soup

"We all had colds and I was looking for a good chicken soup to soothe the soul. This definitely did the trick! This soup is excellent! It's quick, easy, tastes homemade, has a wonderful combination of flavors and fills the house with pleasant aromas."

-Judith N.

Ultimate Nachos

"Quick to make and fun to eat. These nachos are delicious! The addition of sausage was new to us and something we really liked. I used a mixture of cheddar and hot Pepper Jack cheeses along with sliced black olives on top of the nachos."

-Debs Recipes

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