If you are tired to cooking pasta for your family every night, you have come to right place. French food that your kids will eat (without complaining) may sound like a fantasy, but actually there are plenty of recipes that should please both parents and children alike.
Putting this list together, I tried to pick a variety of dinner ideas that are easy to make as well as ones that will let you travel a bit to the different regions of France. A voyage for the tastebuds, if you will.
And of course, the recipes have to be relatively easy to put together, with items from the classic French pantry, without having to stand over the stove for 3 hours. After all, parents in France work just as late as parents elsewhere around the world (the French 35-hour workweek is a myth) and need quick and easy meals too. Most working families don’t have a parent who is a Michelin-starred chef!
But as tired as we all are, nobody wants to cater to a pint-sized picky eater either. So with that being said, here are some French recipes that kids will happily eat (and so will the adults!)
1. Gratin Dauphinois
Travel to the French alps with the classic Gratin Dauphinois recipe involving cheese, potatoes, and cream. No child is going to turn that down.
But to make Mom and Dad happy, why not add some spinach for a dish the whole family will love. Get the recipe for gratin dauphinoise and a mushroom and potato gratin here.
☞ READ MORE: Top French Potato dishes to love
2. Cassoulet in Instant Pot
From the French region of Occitanie, this dish used to take over 24 hours of cooking to make. For working families however, meet the French cassoulet in the Instant Pot. Toss in the meat and beans, and before you know it, dinner is ready! Get the recipe for cassoulet here.
3. Croque Monsieur
Take that boring ham and cheese sandwich up a notch with the Croque Monsieur, or a Croque Madame if you prefer. Each region has their own version of the Croque Monsieur, so you can choose the one you like.
Filled with cheesy goodness, this is an easy meal to put together that the kids will love. It can get messy though, so eat it with a knife and fork as the French do! Get the recipe for croque monsieur here.
4. Spinach and Cheese Quiche
The typical Quiche Lorraine (from the region of Lorraine) includes bacon and mushrooms, but if you want to get a good serving of spinach in those little bellies, why not try a spinach and cheese quiche? Get the recipe for spinach quiche here.
5. Chicken Provençale in Instant Pot
If you like Chicken stew, you can try the traditional Coq au Vin. But since the Coq au vin literally translates to Chicken in wine, you may have doubts about serving it to your child.
The wine usually cooks off, but if you do want an alcohol-free French chicken stew, try the exquisite Chicken Provençale from the South of France that is just as easy to make and just as delicious. Get the recipe for chicken provençale here.
6. French carbonara
The Italian carbonara may have a particular taste, so the French have adopted the dish and made a critical change. In the quest for a creamy pasta, the traditional French carbonara recipe calls for adding crême fraïche (heavy cream) into the pot. A change any kid is bound to love. Get the recipe for French carbonara here.
7. Pot au feu
Pot au feu is a classic French recipe that’s easy to prepare and full of flavor. If you want to make an easy meal that will combine chicken with all the goodness of vegetables, a pot au feu is the stew you are looking for. You can get the recipe for chicken pot au feu here, as well as the beef version.
☞ READ MORE: ABC of French Cuisine (the Food Dictionary)
So what will you be serving for dinner tonight? If you enjoyed that, check out our other classic French recipes that are easy to prepare. Bon appétit and à bientôt !
