Healthy Family & Kids Dinner Recipes

This loaded spaghetti squash recipe has all the fixings of a classic baked potato, but with a fraction of the carbs. The pasta-like spaghetti squash is combined with Cheddar cheese, bacon and scallions that melt together in the oven. Top with sour cream and garnish with more scallions and bacon and you have a delicious low-carb side dish ready to go.

If it isn't already, this vibrant dish will make oven-roasted chicken a favorite at your house. With the lemon potatoes, it's an irresistible and simple meal. You can use the leftover meat in soup, sandwiches, and salads.

If you want proof that school gardens help create sophisticated and adventurous eaters, look no further. Just say "arugula-lemon pesto" to yourself and marvel that the origin of this pasta salad recipe is a cookbook that is an offshoot of school garden programs in Vermont.

The kids participating in the California Farm to School Network who inspired this salad knew that they could make kale more tender and appealing to fellow students by massaging it first to break down tough cells in the plant. You probably won't find crumbled Cheddar at your market, but all you have to do is buy the cheese as a brick and then slice before breaking it into little chunks.

A fresh tomato-and-basil topping on panko-crusted chicken cutlets makes an easy meal for family or casual entertaining.

This recipe proves that learning how to roast a whole chicken can be easier (and more delicious) than you thought. For extra-crispy skin, remove the chicken from the brine, dry with paper towels and refrigerate for an additional 24 hours before roasting.

Like sloppy Joes? Then you'll love this sloppy Joe casserole recipe. This kid-friendly dinner has the classic sloppy Joe flavors kids love, while parents will like all the veggies that are packed in to make it a healthy meal.

In this easy Brussels sprouts recipe, the sprouts get a double hit of coconutty flavor from coconut oil and coconut water, and a salty, umami kick from fish sauce. The coconut water is a tropical nod to the southern Vietnamese practice of cooking with coconut water, which is often used in braises and dipping sauces. Don't have a pan large enough to cook the sprouts in one batch? Cook them in two batches in a medium (10-inch) skillet. No coconut oil in your pantry? Substitute unsalted European-style butter or vegetable oil. Serve these simple but flavorful Brussels sprouts as a side to any protein for weeknight dinners or special meals--they'd be a great addition to your Thanksgiving dinner.

Cooking prime rib can be intimidating--it's such a big piece of meat and you're usually making it for a special occasion, like Christmas or a formal dinner, so you want to get it just right. But it needn't be stressful: This easy prime rib recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients and lays out how to cook prime rib so it's juicy, tender and full of flavor, without a lot of fuss. Cooking the prime rib low and slow safeguards the meat from cooking unevenly. See the Tips section below for more advice on making the perfect prime rib. And if you have leftovers, they make a killer sandwich!

Reminiscent of chicken nuggets, this cauliflower is a great way to get kids to eat their veggies. Want to get another veg on your child's plate? This easy vegetable dish also works with broccoli and can be served as an appetizer, side or vegetarian main course. You can also swap in a dairy-free mayonnaise to make these easy cauliflower bites vegan.

This vegetarian marinara is a fantastic way to incorporate vegetables into a meal. Not only will adults love it but kids will, too! You can easily make it on a weekend, and reheat for a quick Monday night meal.

Hearty and filling, this eggplant and white bean ragout is vegetarian comfort food. Tossing the eggplant with salt draws out excess moisture from the vegetable, making it less bitter and more firm upon cooking. To make this recipe gluten-free, sub rice or gluten-free pasta for the couscous. Garnish with additional chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil, if desired.

A piping-hot cast-iron skillet turns pizza dough into a puffy, crisp-bottomed crust (similar to focaccia). If you have children, let them help make this easy pizza recipe: While you cook the sausage, have the kids tear up the kale--no knife required!

You might look forward to the days after Thanksgiving even more than the holiday itself with this easy turkey potpie recipe that's the perfect use for leftover turkey and extra vegetables like carrots and onions you might have on hand from the holiday. The pie is loaded with veggies and a creamy sauce, then topped with a prepared whole-wheat crust so there's no need to make dough. No leftover cooked turkey? This healthy potpie is just as delicious with chicken. Serve it up any time you need a dose of comfort food for dinner.

This colorful and healthy cranberry salad will brighten up any Thanksgiving spread. It's sweet but not overly so, with juicy oranges, crunchy walnuts and crisp celery and apples. It's easy to make and can be prepped ahead--plus, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries, which extends the season of this salad. We call for Honeycrisp apples, but Gala or Fuji would also work well. Serve this cranberry salad with your Thanksgiving turkey, of course, or try it with chicken or pork any time of year.

Squash noodles elbow out some of the starchy ones to give this cool sesame noodle salad a veggie boost. This easy healthy recipe comes together in just 20 minutes, so it's great for weeknight dinners. Pack up any leftovers for lunch.

This cheesy baked eggplant Parmesan has no breading, which means it's easier to make than the traditional version. There's no dredging or frying--instead, the eggplant is roasted until tender before being layered in the casserole dish with a tangy homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. And without breading, this satisfying eggplant Parmesan is also gluten-free!

There's definitely a sushi vibe to these kid-friendly wraps, which are stuffed with vegetables, cheese and hummus and then rolled and sliced. Serve them with store-bought green goddess, a creamy herb-filled dressing, to take it up a notch with ease. They look impressive but they're easy enough for kids to assemble themselves for an easy lunch or dinner.

Cucumbers, tomato, parsley and feta are the basics of an Israeli salad, which is as common at breakfast as at any other meal. Here, fluffy challah croutons make the dish a sort of mash-up of the Lebanese bread salad fattoush, made with pita, and a Tuscan panzanella. It's just the kind of cross-pollination modern Israeli food is known for. And for you, it's a healthy meal that's ready in 25 minutes!

If you can find torpedo onions, try them in this healthy grilled recipe. These long, cylindrical purple onions, similar in flavor and texture to leeks, soften and caramelize to a sweet finish on the grill. You can find them at farmers' markets in spring or fall. Any spring onion or even 1-inch-thick slices of sweet onion make a good substitute.