For so many people, cooking is not a skill that some may have mastered. If you try adding preparing food for a gluten free friend or family member, the challenge increases.  Believe it or not, finding a simple, fun, and gluten free recipe is not easy. It is even harder if you have picky eaters in your house. Appealing, messy, and fun dinners are always easier in my home because we love messy finger foods. 

One of the parenting struggles of being a busy mom or dad is trying to plan meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Every Friday, we will share our weekly recipe round-up of great gluten free and paleo recipes for you and your family. Our hope is that this is helpful in deciding what you want to make for dinner and makes meal planning a little easier for you.

Here are this week’s four fantastic favorite recipes:

Courgette Pizza Bites

Emma made a fun and healthier version of pizza bites. “Courgette Pizza Bites” are the perfect finger food paired with a filling side for the picky eaters in your house.  The variety of toppings is endless which can ensure a full eaten meal from your children. They are fun to make and take approximately 30 minutes to create. Emma suggests using cheeses such as cheddar, mozzarella, or parmesan. Depending on what you use as topping this can be the beginning of an easily balanced plate. 

Asian Marinated Chicken Legs

Sandi will agree that the messier the meal the better it is. Her, “Asian Marinated Chicken Legs” are fun for the little ones and healthy for everyone. This dish takes approximately 30 minutes to bake making it a perfect “busy weeknight dinner”. The best part about chicken legs is that it pairs so nicely with so many sides and is an inexpensive meat. Sandi does mention to be careful when buying hoisin because many brands are not gluten free. If you cannot find a gluten free product she does have a recipe for that included in her post. 

Chicken and Peas Dip

Valerie often shares recipes inspired by her mother and they are always fantastic. She shared a post about easy party dip recipes and in that was her, “Chicken and Peas Dip” recipe. This is meant to be an appetizer but when it comes to our picky eaters getting them to eat healthy foods is the number one thing that matters. Sometimes making fun meals creates an easier dinner time for everyone or at least at my house. Her Chicken and Peas Dip can be made a few ways but my favorites are topping it onto a gluten free puff pastry or a piece of lettuce. This dish takes five minutes if you use canned chicken but also can be made with freshly cooked shredded chicken.

Gluten Free Waffles

No home can go wrong with breakfast for dinner. It was something in my home growing up that we did when it was a rough week. It brought the whole family together and lifted our spirits. Ray shared his delicious recipe for “Gluten Free Waffles”. These waffles are amazing plain or topped with goodies. You can have them at the table ready to eat in less than 30 minutes depending on how many you need to make.