Giada's Best Kid Friendly Recipes

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It's true that cooking for kids can sometimes be a struggle (especially the picky ones!) but rest assured, Giada's kid friendly recipes will be met with no complaints.

A kid's favorite meal on Tuesday can get shunned on Wednesday - we get the struggle! After years of menu planning for shows, cookbooks and even Giada's restaurants, we've managed to get a few tricks up our sleeve for getting kids excited about dinner - and even sneaking some veggies in while we're at it. Whenever you're in a pinch and you're not sure what to whip up for the little ones in the week ahead, turn to Giada's kid friendly recipes for guidance!

Giada's Kid Friendly Recipes

Parmesan Fish Sticks

We're not necessarily wanting to deceive our kids, but if we can take something nutritious and wrap it up in a junk-food-looking package that they'll enjoy, then we're honestly all for it. Enter these fish sticks, which look just like the frozen variety, but are actually made of baked planks of salmon.

Big Batch Meatball Sliders

Ooey-gooey cheesy meatball sliders on sweet Hawaiian rolls? That's gonna be a win for any kid, and let's be honest - any adult too.

Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs

When in doubt, make it mini! With little balls of ciliegine mozzarella tucked in with tiny chicken meatballs, this pasta is a winner among little ones (especially with orecchiette pasta!)

Meatball Pizza

Truth be told, this dish is both kid-approved and adult-loved. The inspiration came from Jade’s fondness of pizza and meatballs, and the combination turned out so delicious, we decided to put it on the kids’ menu at GIADA in Las Vegas, too!

Pasta Nests

Take any old pasta (linguine, spaghetti, bucatini and beyond!) and turn it into something extra fun and cute that kids will love. These make great additions to a bento-style lunchbox or an after-school snacks!

Italian Baked Chicken And Pastina

Pastina literally means “little pasta” so it can be any type of small shape pasta, even small elbow macaroni, which kids love! To get the golden brown parmesan crust, just add a little bit of soft butter on the top. The breadcrumbs absorb the butter and it creates a nice crispy golden brown crust.