This Kid Approved Pumpkin Pasta was created in hopes to get my kids to like something other than butter or jarred sauce on their pasta. Luckily it was a success. I’m experimenting with different sauces to get some veggies in my kids. They don’t all end well but I’m glad this one did. This served my husband, myself, my sister, both my kids and I also froze a cup of it for later use.
I know I’m not the only one who has picky eaters. It’s a stage all kids go through. There are many nights where I scrape their untouched food into the garbage and wonder to myself if I’m only parent who feels so defeated when it comes to dinner time. I know that I’m not, however I wonder if I take it to heart so much because I’m a foodie and I just love creating dishes. My kids eat all the things kids eat, grilled cheese, Mac N Cheese, hot dogs, pasta, pizza and Peanut butter and jelly. I thought it was because when I had my first I did the baby food process. I gave her formula for the first year of her life and at 6 months we introduced pureed baby food, I even made some of my own. With our second we did Baby-Led Weaning. I thought for sure I had a future foodie on my hands because there was nothing this kid wouldn’t eat. I’m talking everything and anything he ate and not only ate but loved! Then he turned 18 months and it was all down hill from there. He hasn’t eaten a piece of meat (unless you call turkey dogs meat but I don’t) in months and is so stubborn that he’s actually gone to bed hungry because he’d rather just not eat what I serve. Yes I try and always make sure there is one thing on the plate that both of my kids will eat but I stopped cooking a second meal and stopped giving fruit to them after dinner because I the thought of them going to bed hungry made me feel like a terrible mother.
I’m happy to report weeks after refusing the fruit and using a bit of bribery he at least tries one bite of everything and I bargain with him to get a “nack” as Drew calls it. 5 more bites of string beans and you can have a “nack.” Hey, we all get desperate. Here are a few other tried and Kid Approved meals you may be able to get your pick eater to try, and the best part, they are good for them!
Spicy Lentil Sauce (just cut down on the spice if it’s too much for your kids!)
Nunny’s Super Mac N Cheese
Easy Turkey & Rotini Dinner
Crock-Pot Mac N Cheese for a Crowd (Make it and freeze some for another night!)
Tater-Tot Casserole
Monkey Bread Muffins
Tropical Chicken Burgers
- 1 14 oz can pureed pumpkin
- 1 14 oz can beef broth
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp. greek yogurt cream cheese
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- 8 oz. of Spaghetti
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 4 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)
- Cook the spaghetti according to packaged directions as you prepare the sauce. Add the peas the last few minutes, drain and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the purred pumpkin, nutmeg, chili powder and beef broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a low boil and add in the cream cheese and slowly stir until the sauce thickens even more about 3-5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta stir, place in serving bowls and top with chopped bacon.
