8 Kid-Friendly Dinners That Grown-ups Will Love Too

If you’re wondering how to get your children to eat — or even love – fish, try feeding them this. They’ll think it’s kid-friendly food for them, but I promise you it’s anything but. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best way to transform ordinary tilapia into a seafood sensation.

This is an easy and incredibly flavorful way to prepare boneless skinless chicken breasts. You might think it sounds too exotic-tasting for picky eaters, but even small children seem to love it. The best part is that it only takes minutes to prepare, and there’s barely any clean up.

The taste of this dish is similar to teriyaki, which most kids seem to love. Most of the ingredients are right out of the pantry, and you can have it on the table in 20 minutes — honest!

Burgers are always a safe bet for kids. These steakhouse-style burgers are made with readily available 85% lean ground beef, a panade — a mixture of bread and milk that keeps meat tender and juicy even when cooked to medium-well — and lots of seasoning, such as garlic, scallions, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.

Tender chicken thighs are seasoned with garlic, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika and then broiled with a sweet and tangy honey glaze. It’s not too spicy and kids love it!

In this gourmet twist on chicken tenders, the chicken is breaded in a mixture of pecans and panko, then pan-fried until crispy and golden and served with a creamy whole grain honey mustard sauce. Since the pecans are finely chopped, even kids who think they don’t like nuts will try them, ask for seconds, and even sneak thirds when you’re not looking.

There are endless ways to use pesto — the Italian sauce made from olive oil, basil, garlic, nuts and Parmesan cheese — but this has to be one of my favorites. The pesto is used as a marinade and sauce for grilled shrimp, which turn out slightly charred and loaded with flavor. Kids love finger food so no matter how much you think you’ll need, make extra!