Meals for Kids: Fall Edition

We're sure every parent has spent hours preparing dinner only to see their children push it away. The rejection of what we offer starts early -- remember the first time you fed them rice cereal or mashed peas? It doesn't matter how carefully you chose the ingredients or how delicious you think the meal may be. Kids eat what they like.

As fellow parents, we know the struggle is real. Each season, we'll round up a few meals for kids that our own children have happily eaten. You might be as surprised as we were to discover what they like, given the chance to try it.

Meals for Kids: Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup

We love this soup from Cooking Classy because it bubbles away in the slow cooker all day. We've made it with both canned tomatoes and fresh peeled tomatoes from our garden -- both ways are delicious. You can dice and sauté the carrots and onions in the morning, or prep the night before and refrigerate until the next day.

Definitely use refrigerated tortellini for best results, not boxed or frozen. We're also partial to fresh basil and parmesan that's been grated from a wedge, not sprinkled from a can. Don't skimp on the cream either; it's a key ingredient in this comforting meal.

Meals for Kids: Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Pasta Carbonara

We know you looked at the name of this recipe and made a face. Hear us out, though. One of our children routinely eats thirds of this dish from Table for Two. We have to hide the leftovers if we want to have any left for lunch.

We've made it with both brussels sprouts and thinly sliced zucchini, and it's wonderful either way. Be sure to drain some of the fat after frying the bacon so the pasta doesn't end up greasy. Also, toss the pasta and vegetables well to ensure the eggs are fully cooked and thoroughly mixed into the dish. Our kids still don't know there's eggs in this favorite meal of theirs.

Meals for Kids: Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

One reason we love this recipe from Picky Palate is that it doesn't call for any sort of "cream of..." soup. Casseroles often do, but not this one. Whip up a basic roux and turn it into cheese sauce with chicken broth and shredded cheddar cheese. With the chicken, two varieties of rice, and the creamy cheese sauce, this recipe is warm and comforting on chilly autumn nights.

The finely diced carrots, celery and onion do add vegetables to this dish, but we often serve it with steamed broccoli to ensure there's plenty of vegetables on everyone's plate.

Meals for Kids: Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

You'll need your roux skills again for this recipe from Dainty Chef. Like the tomato soup recipe above, it does require some prep before adding everything to the slow cooker. But the results are well worth the upfront effort.

This soup is one we recommend making for a big family gathering, since it's easy to serve straight from the slow cooker. Set up a toppings bar with avocado, sour cream, chopped cilantro and tortilla chips.

Meals for Kids: Baked Pesto Penne With Italian Sausage

Finally, another kid-friendly meal that we've made for a group is this recipe from The Scramble. Although you have to sign up for a 14-day trial to see the ingredients and instructions, we say it's worth it. Our guests went home and made the same dish for their family the following week.

While this recipe does include spinach, it's chopped and wilted and baked. The flavor isn't as strong, nor are the greens as noticeable to kids. Our kids have occasionally left chunks of tomatoes behind, however. If your kids are anti-tomato, try using crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes.

Do you have any kid-friendly standby recipes to recommend? Please share them in the comments!