20 Toddler Lunch Recipe Ideas For Even The Pickiest Of Eaters (2024)

These highlight everyone's favorite part of grilled cheeses—the crispy, cheesy edge bits. Discover all the other ingenious recipes you can make in your waffle maker.

Get the Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese recipe.

Skip the freezer aisle selection and make your own popcorn chicken right at home! This easy recipe comes complete with a honey mustard dipping sauce that makes the whole thing addictive and downright irresistible.

Get the Baked Popcorn Chicken recipe.

These are a great way to sneak extra veggies into the tater tots you already know your kid (and maybe you!) loves. These would also be killer in a tater tot casserole.

Get the Zucchini Tater Tots recipe.

PB&J for lunch is hardly groundbreaking...until it’s reimagined as sushi. Warning: Your kids will start to want all their sandwiches made this way.

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We'd take a buttery, flaky crescent roll over sandwich bread any day. These are chock-full of melty Swiss cheese and savory-sweet ham, but could be done with any cheese and deli meat, like turkey and gouda or roast beef and cheddar.

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This is a prehistoric recipe with a fun twist! We took classic Dino-shaped chicken nuggets and upgraded them by turning them into a kid-friendly version of chicken Parm.

Get the Chicken Parm-asaurus recipe.

Make up a batch of these and freeze them so you'll never be caught off guard for lunch again. You could even make them with pot sticker wrappers!

Get the Beef Empanadas recipe.

Even the best grilled cheese makers may struggle to create that picture-perfect, diner-style grilled cheese with edge to edge golden bread and perfectly melted cheese. Enter the air fryer. The convection provided by the air fryer displaces the heat throughout the entire sandwich, creating a crispy exterior and a perfectly gooey interior.

Get the Air Fryer Grilled Cheese recipe.

This isn't just a quesadilla filled with mozz and pepperoni. It's topped with the works and looks JUST like an actual pizza. Plus, it's 1,000x easier to make at home.

Get the Pizzadillas recipe.

Could these corn dogs be any cuter? Food on a stick is already a main summertime food group, but these state fair classics have an extra special secret ingredient in the batter: fizzy Coca Cola.

Get the Mini Corn Dogs recipe.

We love using muffin tins for genius hacks like this. The "cups" are pieces of white bread that get molded and then filled with a ground beef mixture that tastes just like a cheeseburger. Don't forget to drizzle with your favorite condiments and top with a pickle chip.

Get the Cheeseburger Cups recipe.

Is your kid in a "I only eat fast food" phase? Serve them these copycat nuggets and they'll swear you hit the drive-in before you packed their lunch.

Get the Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets recipe.

Buttered noodles is the perfectly simple and always comforting dish of our childhood that we never grew out of. You can really use whatever cheese you'd like too. If using softer cheeses like mozzarella or cheddar, add them right when the noodles are piping hot so they can melt smooth right away.

Get the Perfect Buttered Noodles recipe.

Everything your kids love about grilled cheese, with added veggies and no bread! Try our zucchini grilled cheese next.

Get the Cauliflower Grilled Cheese recipe.

If your kid can't choose between a hot dog or a grilled cheese for lunch, why not both? 😈

Get the Grilled Cheese Dogs recipe.

This foolproof, classic baked macaroni and cheese recipe is the only one you'll ever need, and it uses three of our favorite cheeses: cheddar, Gruyère, and Parm. If you're looking to add more vegetables to your life, check out our cauliflower mac and cheese—it makes veggies tolerable.

Get the Three-Cheese Mac recipe.

You don't really need a recipe to make this insanely popular Mexican dish. Top a tortilla with cheese (and whatever else you've got), then fold it in half and cook until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melty. But if you're looking for some guidance, especially in cooking up some quick and easy chicken to stuff inside, this recipe won't let you down.

Get the Chicken Quesadilla recipe.

These can get any kid to eat their broccoli. Tip: Wringing the steamed broccoli out with paper towel or cheesecloth ensures this cheesy bread stays crisp, not soggy.

Get the Broccoli Cheesy Bread recipe.

This hearty Hungarian pasta dish is a little like elevated Hamburger Helper—kids and adults alike will love it!

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Got a kid that loves to brunch? We don't blame them. This recipe makes a delicious handheld meal perfect for kiddos and grownups alike. Crumbled butter crackers form a crunchy crust for a tasty ham and cheese omelet, no silverware required.

Get the Ham and Cheese Omelet Sticks recipe.