This Week’s Kid-Friendly Meal Idea
So naturally, as I was thinking of meal ideas to come up with, pasta was a must.
Since Spring is here, I’ve been more in the mood for a light pasta dish rather than a heavy pasta dish, so I decided to make a version of pasta al fresco in a way that all my family members would enjoy.
My kids love noodles… by itself… maybe with some butter on it, but that’s it. Since that’s not exactly my favorite way to eat noodles, this option lets everyone in the family decide which ingredients they want in their pasta and enjoy it to their own customization.
I also loved the idea of allowing the kids to take ownership in creating their own meals, so when it was time to assemble our pasta dishes, I had this idea that they would each choose a little sausage, and peppers (my kids are obsessed with peppers), and I’d be able to make mine with all the goods.
Spoiler alert – they didn’t want to mix anything with their noodles!!
Haha! I had to tell you this because it felt like a little bit of a failure based on what my goals are for these meals. But, I made the best of it and instead, I had some extra uncooked peppers sliced up, which I let them eat on the side with their bland plain noodles.
That being said, we all ended up with meals we loved and I didn’t feel like I was stuck with plain noodles, and I wasn’t forcing them to try to eat noodles with veggies and sauce they didn’t want, which would have ended up in a dinner-time battle. So, from that perspective, I did feel like it was a winning experience. Maybe your kids will be more experimental with their ingredient choice. Please let me know!
This recipe will remain a summer favorite for me, regardless if the kids choose to opt out of all the sauteed veggie goodness that I think makes this meal so good.
I hope you enjoy this one and let me know how your family does with this mix & match concept! Did your kids go with plain noodles or add in a few ingredients? Comment below and let me know!