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Even Picky Eaters Can't Resist These Dinners

Even Picky Eaters Can't Resist These Dinners

Whether you're looking for tonight's meal or something you can serve to company, these family-friendly dishes deliver great taste with simple flavors.

By Lynn Andriani

Pasta With Cheesy Sauce But No Powdered Stuff
joshuaraineyphotography/iStock/Thinkstock
A five-ingredient homemade mac 'n' cheese is a godsend for exasperated cooks, since it's easy to make (no roux or bechamel sauce!), yet much more wholesome than most boxed versions, and is a meal practically everyone loves. It's customizable, too; in Nina Planck's new book The Real Food Cookbook, she advises readers to use whole wheat pasta and whatever cheese they have on hand. That could mean cheddar or Monterey Jack, which both melt nicely (you could also try Gouda, Fontina, Gruyere or Havarti).

Get the recipe: Pasta with the Cheese-You-Have
Salad That'll Get A Meat Eater's Attention
Carrie Vitt
Serve a steak and a salad and, chances are, picky eaters will eat only one of the components (more likely than not, the nongreen portion). Serve a steak on a salad, though, and the salty, savory flavor of the beef seasons the greens, and before you know it, they've both been devoured. In 100 Days of Real Food, Lisa Leake shows how easy it is to make this dinner. Her marinade is a simple teriyaki sauce (its sugar helps the meat caramelize as it cooks), and the salad is filled with crunchy and vibrant vegetables: lettuce, spinach, carrots and red bell peppers.

Get the recipe: Teriyaki Flank Steak Salad
A Salmon Dish That Borrows From The Burgers-And-Fries Club
© John Kernick
If your picky eaters won't touch anything unless it's dipped in ketchup, then this seafood dish might be the preparation that turns them on to salmon. Silvana Nardone, whose new book is Silvana's Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Kitchen, says her kids love this dinner, and not just because it stars the ubiquitous red dip (which gives the fish a kick, along with orange juice, sugar, chili paste and sesame oil). It also gets a delicate crunch from a coating of sesame seeds.

Get the recipe: Sticky Sesame Salmon with Orange Sauce
Chicken For People Who'd Rather Eat Pancakes
Brian Woodcock
For some, a drizzle of maple syrup is the best part of a morning meal, which is why they just might fall in love with this roast chicken recipe. It uses the natural sweetener to achieve a wonderfully crisp skin, as well as that signature warm flavor. You mix the syrup with chopped pecans and some apple cider vinegar, and brush it onto the chicken for the last 25 minutes of cooking; the sugars help the meat develop a beautiful, crunchy exterior.

Get the recipe: Maple Pecan-Glazed Chicken
One Soup That Can Go Many Ways
Marina Delio
Fussy diners can customize this veggie-rich bowl, which includes carrots, celery, zucchini and tomatoes, depending on their tastes. Set out an array of toasted tortilla strips, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, grated cheddar, sour cream and lime wedges—and everyone will be happy, whether their palates prefer creamy, crunchy, tart or sharp flavors and textures.

Get the recipe: Veggie Tortilla Soup with Quinoa

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Before You Go

Remember That Crispy Equals Good
Hannah Whitaker
Fried anything tastes better than anything not fried, but if you don't want to completely cancel out a vegetable's nutritional benefits, try oven-frying. These zucchini sticks (shown fourth from left) crisp up nicely and taste delicious on their own or dipped in marinara sauce.

Get the recipe: Parmesan Zucchini Fries
Make A Wednesday Night Feel Like A Holiday
Tina Rupp
Although this dish makes a lovely Thanksgiving side, it's also easy enough to throw together on a weeknight alongside pork tenderloin or roast chicken. A few tablespoons of maple syrup and a 400-degree oven bring out the squash's earthy sweetness, making it more candy than veggie.

Get the recipe: Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash
Give Them Potatoes Already
Rob Howard
If your picky eater will only touch one vegetable, chances are that it's potato. This recipe for mashed spuds incorporates garlic and parsley and has you leave the skin on, which makes it easier to prepare. (Bonus: fiber!)

Get the recipe: Garlic-Parsley Mashed Potatoes
When All Else Fails, Rice
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A bowl of fluffy white grains is sometimes the only thing someone with a sensitive stomach or a picky palate will touch. That doesn't have to mean boring, though. Sautéing the grains first in some fat with garlic, onion and other seasonings, such as scallions and bay leaves, lends flavor and depth.

Get the recipe: Brazilian-Style Simple Pilaf
Don't Forget The Bacon
OWN
Remember what we said about some picky eaters only eating one vegetable (hello, potatoes)? If said eater extends his or her vegetable purview to include one more, we're betting it's corn. A smidgen of sugar and crisped bacon bits seal the deal.

Get the recipe: Sautéed Sweet Corn
Cook Peas, Add Cheese
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We love that the ingredient list for this oozy veggie dish calls for "4 big handfuls fresh or frozen peas," a "knob of butter," a "big handful" of grated cheese, a lemon and ground white pepper. "If your kids won't eat their peas this way," celebrity chef Jamie Oliver says, "then they probably never will."

Get the recipe: Cheesy Peas
Dress Up A Persnickety Diner's Go-To
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Cooking baby-cut carrots with orange juice and zest plus a little bit of butter and honey turns them crisp-tender and sweet-tart. If you prefer your vegetables softer, place them in lightly salted boiling water for three minutes, and drain before adding them to the skillet.

Get the recipe: Baby Carrots with Orange Glaze
Combine Sweet Potatoes With... Coconut?
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Tricia Williams, founder of the food and nutritional counseling service Food Matters NYC, makes these perfectly crisp sweet potato wedges with coconut oil, coconut sugar (which has a faint caramel flavor, similar to light brown sugar), sea salt and chipotle powder. The result is a little sweet and a little spicy.

Get the recipe: Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges
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