Toddler Meals

Here they are... toddler approved:  quick, easy, no fuss meals that can be made in 30 mins and frozen for a few weeks. Tiny fingers can break them apart and they can be heated up in 60 seconds.

No they aren't paleo, gluten free, or super healthy... but your kid will eat them and that's what's important when you only have 5 mins of prep time before a conference call.


PASTA CUPS
*This makes a LOT!  So it will fill 24 cups + a 9x9 casserole dish for tonight's meal.
** Sub 1 jar pasta sauce for all ingredients except pasta and cheese.

• 1 box small shaped pasta
• 2 cans petite diced tomato (or 1 15 oz can)
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 bag Morningstar farms meatless crumbles (or 1 lb ground meat)
• 1 T basil
• 1/2 T oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2-4 cups shredded mozzarella

Make your pasta according to the directions on the box or bag. In sauce pan cook your meat or crumbles. Add your diced tomatoes and tomato paste.  Season the sauce with basil, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder. Cook on low while pasta is cooking. 

Once done rinse your pasta and mix into sauce.  Mix in cheese.  Use foil cups with liners in muffin tins.  Add a scoop of pasta to each cup.  Cook at 350 degrees for 15 mins.  Once cooled put in gallon Ziploc bags and freeze. 

To reheat:  Remove foil muffin cup (leave liner), and cook in microwave on high for 1 minute for 2.  45 seconds for 1. 1 min 30 seconds for 3.

 

MAC CHEESE AND VEGGIE CUPS
*Makes 24 cups if you can resist eating while cooking.  Surprisingly my toddler will eat the veggies out of it first and then the noodles.

• 1 box of your favorite mac n cheese
• 1 cup of frozen veggies

Thaw frozen veggies in microwave while you make your mac n cheese.  Once veggies and mac n cheese are cooked, combine.  Use foil cups with liners in muffin tins.  Add a scoop of pasta/veggie mixture to each cup.  Cook at 350 degrees for 15 mins.  Once cooled put in gallon Ziploc bags and freeze. 

To reheat:  Remove foil muffin cup (leave liner), and cook in microwave on high for about 30 seconds per cup.  So 1 cup = 30 seconds on high, 2 cups = 60 seconds on high.