45 Grandkid-Approved Recipes

Read Time: 20 mins

45 Grandkid-Approved Recipes2/44 Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese 19 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Old-Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour Servings 16 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Bring back the taste of days gone by with this ooey-gooey classic. A little ground mustard and hot pepper sauce give this old-fashioned baked macaroni and cheese just the right spice. —James Backman, Centralia, Washington Nutrition Facts: 1 cup: 267 calories, 17g fat (10g saturated fat), 48mg cholesterol, 425mg sodium, 17g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 12g protein. 3/44 Parmesan Mashed Potatoes 4

Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Parmesan Mashed Potatoes Recipe photo by Sonia Bozzo for Taste of Home Total Time 35 min Servings 12 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My grandsons rave over these creamy potatoes loaded with Parmesan. That’s all the endorsement I need. Sometimes I use golden or red potatoes, with skins on. —Kallee Krong-McCreery, Escondido, California Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup: 264 calories, 15g fat (10g saturated fat), 45mg cholesterol, 456mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 2g fiber), 5g protein. 4/44 Cream-Filled Chocolate Cookies 1 Review Test Kitchen Approved Cream-Filled Chocolate Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of

My children and grandchildren gobble them up

Home Total Time 25 min Servings about 4-1/2 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I’ve been making these cookies for years. My children and grandchildren gobble them up. Nutrition Facts: 2 sandwich cookies: 250 calories, 11g fat (7g saturated fat), 44mg cholesterol, 247mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate (23g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein. 5/44 Baked Spaghetti 294 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Favorite Baked Spaghetti Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 25 min Servings 10 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This is my grandchildren’s most-loved dish. It feels like a special dinner and

is so cozy for cooler months

is so cozy for cooler months. —Louise Miller, Westminster, Maryland Nutrition Facts: 1-1/4 cups: 526 calories, 24g fat (13g saturated fat), 127mg cholesterol, 881mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 3g fiber), 31g protein. 6/44 Almond Cookies 16 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Almond Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 20 min Servings 3 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Beverly Preston of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin started making Almond Cookies after enjoying similar ones at her favorite Chinese restaurant. “These crisp cookies have a wonderful almond flavor,” she says. Nutrition Facts: 2 cookies: 100 calories, 6g

This is a quick dish to fix

fat (1g saturated fat), 6mg cholesterol, 20mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein. 7/44 Olive and Red Pepper Linguine 3 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Olive and Red Pepper Linguine Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 20 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: With 16 grandchildren, I find that someone is always hungry. This is a quick dish to fix. I sometimes serve garlic bread alongside it for an easy meatless meal. —Betty Carpenter, Hookstown, Pennsylvania Nutrition Facts: 1 cup: 159 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated fat), 4mg cholesterol, 221mg sodium,

24g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 2g fiber), 4g protein

24g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 2g fiber), 4g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1.500 starch, 1 fat. 8/44 Miniature Peanut Butter Treats 26 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Miniature Peanut Butter Treats Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings 3-1/2 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This recipe is one of my family’s favorites, and I make the treats a lot, especially at Christmas. I have three children and eight grandchildren, and every one of them loves those “peanut butter thingies,” as the grandchildren call them! —Jodie McCoy, Tulsa, Oklahoma Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 108 calories, 6g fat

—Maryalice Wood, Langley, British Columbia Nutrition

(3g saturated fat), 11mg cholesterol, 108mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein. 9/44 Lemon Chicken and Rice 10 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Emily Davis for Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 10 min Servings 2 casseroles (4 servings each) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I couldn’t say who loves this recipe best, because it gets raves every time I serve it! Occasionally I even get a phone call or email from a friend requesting the recipe, and it’s certainly a favorite for my grown children and 15 grandchildren. —Maryalice Wood, Langley, British Columbia Nutrition

This recipe is easy to make, and kids really like

Facts: 2 chicken thighs with 3/4 cup rice mixture: 624 calories, 26g fat (6g saturated fat), 173mg cholesterol, 754mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 53g protein. 10/44 Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast 8 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 20 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I’ve always tried to make cooking fun—for myself, my daughters and my grandchildren. Cooking teaches children the importance of following directions and being organized. This recipe is easy to make, and kids really like

—Kelly Kirby, Mill Bay, British Columbia Nutrition Facts:

it. —Flo Burtnett, Gage, Oklahoma Nutrition Facts: 1 sandwich: 450 calories, 22g fat (5g saturated fat), 96mg cholesterol, 567mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate (20g sugars, 3g fiber), 16g protein. 11/44 Crescent Rolls 25 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Buttery Crescent Rolls Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 45 min Servings 2 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I always have to double this buttery, homemade crescent roll recipe because they never last long. You can shape them any way you’d like, but to me, a crescent shape is so pretty. —Kelly Kirby, Mill Bay, British Columbia Nutrition Facts:

They like it even more with golden cauliflower instead of white

1 roll: 128 calories, 4g fat (3g saturated fat), 19mg cholesterol, 107mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein. 12/44 Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Cauliflower 8 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Cauliflower Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 45 min Servings 12 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My grandkids were never huge fans of cauliflower, but the bacon makes a big difference in this dish. They like it even more with golden cauliflower instead of white. — Patricia Hudson, Riverview, Florida Nutrition Facts: 1/2 cup: 137 calories, 11g

Now I make it for my grandchildren

fat (4g saturated fat), 17mg cholesterol, 221mg sodium, 5g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 2g fiber), 5g protein. 13/44 Banana Bread Pudding 28 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Banana Bread Pudding Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 50 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: When I visited my grandmother in summer, I always looked forward to the comforting pudding she’d make. With its crusty golden top, custard-like inside and smooth vanilla sauce, this bread pudding is a real homespun dessert. Now I make it for my grandchildren. —Mary Detweiler, Middlefield, Ohio Nutrition Facts: 1

This recipe also works in a slow cooker

serving: 439 calories, 21g fat (12g saturated fat), 157mg cholesterol, 561mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate (38g sugars, 1g fiber), 9g protein. 14/44 Italian Sausage and Zucchini Soup 24 Reviews Italian Sausage and Zucchini Soup Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings 6 servings (2 quarts) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Everyone in my family likes this soup recipe. Sometimes I add mini farfalle because my grandchildren say the noodles look like tiny butterflies. This recipe also works in a slow cooker. —Nancy Murphy, Mount Dora, Florida Nutrition Facts: 1-1/4 cups: 191 calories, 9g fat (3g

Our holidays would not be the same without this family tradition

saturated fat), 20mg cholesterol, 789mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 2g fiber), 9g protein. 15/44 Crunchy Spinach Casserole 1 Review Test Kitchen Approved TASTE OF HOME Total Time 50 min Servings 4 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Our holidays would not be the same without this family tradition. My mother made it every Thanksgiving when I was growing up; now I make it every Christmas as well, and my children and grandchildren absolutely love it! We triple the recipe because the kids can’t get enough. —Sharon Scaletta, Johnstown, Pennsylvania Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup: 369 calories, 29g fat

Ever since I can remember, my mother served this pickled egg recipe at Easter

(15g saturated fat), 64mg cholesterol, 974mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 7g fiber), 8g protein. 16/44 Pickled Eggs and Beets 19 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Pickled Eggs with Beets Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 10 min Servings 12 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Ever since I can remember, my mother served this pickled egg recipe at Easter. It was a tradition that my family expected. I made them for my granddaughter the last time she visited and they were all gone before she left. —Mary Banker, Fort Worth, Texas Nutrition Facts: 1 egg: 168

Even my grandkids enjoy the cranberry and apple flavor combination

calories, 5g fat (2g saturated fat), 212mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (21g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein. 17/44 Cran-Apple Muffins 2 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Cran-Apple Muffins Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 40 min Servings 1 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I like to pile a fresh batch of these muffins on a plate when friends drop in for coffee. Even my grandkids enjoy the cranberry and apple flavor combination. —Millie Westland, Hayward, Minnesota Nutrition Facts: 1 muffin: 195 calories, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 19mg cholesterol, 122mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (17g sugars,

💡 Frequently Asked Questions

⭐ Expert Tips

• Include seasonal or trendy variations to keep your meals exciting.

• Highlight prep shortcuts or time-saving techniques for busy cooks.

• Consider dietary restrictions and include substitution suggestions.

✅ Key Takeaways

• These dinner ideas are perfect for impressing guests or enjoying special occasions.

• Choose recipes that match your skill level and available kitchen tools.

• Presentation and taste both contribute to a memorable dining experience.

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