I didn’t jump on the Instant Pot band wagon right away. I figured I already had a crockpot and a rice cooker, why did I need something else? After this thought process for a while, I saw one at a price I couldn’t resist. Guys, the hype is legit- there’s so much you can do with it. It’s been fun to try new recipes and I’m consistently shocked how quickly I can make dinner. And it still tastes good! With a new baby, a toddler and a preschooler- finding quick toddler friendly dinners for the Instant Pot became my mission.
Related Post: Skip the Terrible with this Easy Two Year Old Schedule
We all know toddlers aren’t the easiest bunch to please. There are highs and lows with dinner time for sure, but I’ve had a lot of success with the following recipes. My son Ellis is still two though, so while he may love something the first time- he may shun it the next day as a leftover. I don’t let this get me down, that’s just how life with a toddler is.
Dinner Routines with a Toddler
Related Post: How to Set up Your Kitchen for Cooking with Toddlers
Our rule at dinner is that they have to try everything twice. I’m not going to force them to eat it all, but I’m also not making them a separate dinner. So they know there is no asking for something else AND it’s the last time they eat for the day. We go directly to bath and brush teeth from dinner.
As we’ve been consistent, they know their boundaries. Just like anything they try new- you are not allowed to look at a new dish and say you don’t like it. It may become your new favorite- which has happened!
All that to say- there is no magic bullet or recipe for getting toddlers to eat at every meal. It comes with lots of repetition and clear boundaries. And even then, it’s not anywhere perfect. But it’s a system that works for us.
Having an Instant Pot (Amazon aff link) has been a game changer for me in finding toddler friendly dinners. Relieved a little bit of the stress, especially when I’ve forgotten to defrost chicken. You can still cook it frozen! These 20 have been the most successful with my young children, so I knew that I had to pass them on to other moms as well. Enjoy! 🙂
Toddler Friendly Dinners for your Instant Pot
Indian Butter Chicken
Instant Pot Creamy Shells and Beef
Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Instant Pot Chicken (directions for cooking frozen chicken breasts!)
BBQ Pulled Pork
Healthy Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
Instant Pot Oatmeal Bites
Easy Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
Pressure Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Rice
Quick & Easy Carne Asada Street Tacos
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Fried Onions and Bacon
Instant Pot Spaghetti Recipe for a Quick Dinner
The Best Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Beef Stew with Potatoes
Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples
Instant Pot Lemon Butter Garlic Salmon with Homestyle Vegetables
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These look great! I’m always on the hunt for new recipes the kids MIGHT like. We’re going through a huge “I don’t like that” phase right now, even with similar consequences. It’s so frustrating (at least tonight’s meatloaf was a hit)! Thanks for the round-up, I think a couple of these will be on next week’s meal plan.
I’ve been through a few of these phases with my two boys! Different foods and different ages for both- so it’s super random what they don’t like and when. But then they start surprising me by eating it again! Oh kids. 🙂