Throwing a party and need to feed kids and adults alike? Choose from my list of the best kid-friendly party food and you’re sure to have happy guests!
It’s getting to be get-together season pretty much all across the U.S. The weather is warming up, the allergens aren’t as omnipresent, and gatherings with friends and family are on the mind. If you’re planning a get-together that will involve kids, whether a casual weekend hang with your neighbors, a birthday party, or a Mother’s Day fete, you’ll want to serve food that will appeal to all your guests. But is this possible?
My secret
If you want to assure that all your guests, regardless of their ages, will happily eat the food you serve at your next party, choose kid-friendly party food that can be customized. Seriously, everyone is happier when they can make food their way. There is a reason that restaurants like Chipotle are so successful. Mom can get a bowl, Dad can get a burrito, and the kids can get quesadillas. Everyone is happy. Strive to be Chipotle when you host your next party.
So, what are the best customizable kid-friendly party food options? I’m so glad you asked! Here is my list of the best kid-friendly party food that will have your guests coming back for seconds.
Kid-Friendly Party Food
Hamburgers & hot dogs
Why not start out a list of kid-friendly party food with quintessential cookout food – hamburgers and hot dogs? I mean, sometimes, you just want to make something that works, and hamburgers and hot dogs work (unless, of course, you’re feeding vegetarians – then you need veggie burgers and vegan sausages).
Customize
You can keep the customization possibilities for hamburgers and hot dogs simple, or you can go all out. Here are the toppings that I would make available for a party at which I’m serving hamburgers and hot dogs:
Lettuce (shredded and leaf)
Tomatoes (slices and chunks)
Onions (slices and chopped)
Cheese (slices and shredded)
Ketchup
Mustard
Relish
Mayonnaise
Side dishes
There is something about hamburgers and hot dogs that cries out for traditional picnic or cookout side dishes. Here are some great side dishes that round out this kid friendly party food set-up:
Meatballs
If you want meat-centered kid-friendly party food, but you don’t want to go the cookout route, consider meatballs. You can make your meatballs from scratch or buy them in the freezer section, whichever works best for your life at this current moment. Either way, pop them in the slow cooker with some marinara sauce (homemade or jarred) and they can be the centerpiece of a great party.
Customize
The obvious pairing with meatballs is pasta, but that’s not the only thing that you can serve with meatballs. Consider offering the following options for your guests to customize their meatball experience:
Pasta (different cuts, a gluten-free version)
Spaghetti squash
Sub rolls
Flatbreads
Cheese (grated Parmesan, sliced provolone, shredded mozzarella)
Side dishes
When I serve anything with an Italian slant at a party, I pair it with a big salad. I like to toss lettuce with a bunch of veggies (cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes) and then have optional stir ins on the side like croutons, cheese, and a variety of salad dressings.
Greek bowls
When the weather warms up, I want Greek food. I can’t explain why, I just know that’s what my body starts craving. The good news is that Greek food makes excellent kid-friendly party food, so I can have my Greek food and eat it too! For me, the base of any great Greek bowl is a lemony grilled chicken and some sort of grain. After that, you can go wild with the other stir-ins.
Customize
Think all the best Greek flavors when you are planning your Greek feast. My favorite things to have available for Greek bowls are:
Pitas
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Red onions
Olives
Tzatziki sauce
Hummus
Feta cheese
Side dishes
Greek bowls are a complete meal, so you don’t really need side dishes for this kid-friendly party food. If you want to be extra, make your own French fries and season them with lots of garlic and oregano. These are super tasty when dipped in tzatziki sauce!
Taco bar
Tacos are perhaps the most common kid-friendly party food coming out of my kitchen. The kids love tacos, the grown-ups love tacos, and I know for sure that my gluten-free sister-in-law will enjoy a full meal when I serve tacos. When I’m entertaining with tacos, I like to make two different protein options for filling – usually basic spiced ground beef and a salsa chicken in the slow cooker. Then, it’s time to customize!
Customize
You can have fun with both toppings and vessels for taco night. These are the items I like to have available for guests when I’m serving tacos:
Tortillas (flour and corn)
Tortilla chips
Rice
Lettuce
Beans (refried, black beans, pinto beans)
Pico de gallo or salsa
Guacamole
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Side dishes
Tacos are another great one-and-done meal that doesn’t really require side dishes, but if you want to really wow your guests, make some esquites to go along with your tacos. This stuff is dangerously delicious!
Potato bar
I might have simple tastes, but when I don’t know what I want to eat, the answer is almost always a baked potato with whatever toppings I have on hand. Basically anything tastes amazing on a baked potato. So, next time you’re in need of kid-friendly party food, bake up some spuds and turn your kitchen counter into a baked potato bar!
Customize
Baked potato bars are the ultimate customizable meal. You can put just about anything in a baked potato. If your kids are a little skeptical of baked potatoes, you can mash some potatoes for them and let the kids top them to their hearts’ content.
Shredded cheese
Bacon bits
Sour cream
Broccoli
BBQ chicken or pork
Baked beans
Chili
Avocado
Onion
Side dishes
I love the idea of a big salad to go along with a baked potato. The perfect combination of hearty and light!
BBQ feast
I love and miss barbeque. Growing up in the South, we had reliably delicious BBQ in every small town. Now that I live north of the Mason-Dixon line, BBQ is around, but it definitely isn’t reliably delicious. To scratch that itch of a BBQ craving, sometimes I just need to make it myself. Good thing BBQ is an excellent kid-friendly party food option!
If you’re making a BBQ feast for your next gathering, I highly recommend that you use a smoker. There ain’t nothing better than a pork butt that’s been smoking for 8-10 hours. If you don’t have a smoker or you’re not confident in your BBQ abilities (perhaps you weren’t born in the South), you can still make a delicious BBQ feast with a slow cooker. Just throw chicken breasts rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika into a slow cooker and squeeze in some of your favorite BBQ sauce to moisten. Cook on low for 8 hours, shred, and serve!
Customize
BBQ is so versatile, so whatever meat you choose, be sure to provide lots of serving options to your guests!
Buns
Tortilla chips
Baked potatoes or French fries
BBQ sauce (a variety of sauces is even better!)
Side dishes
Is my favorite part of a BBQ feast the side dishes? Maybe.
Mac & cheese
Cole slaw
Baked beans
Corn on the cob
Sandwiches
Sandwiches may be the ultimate kid-friendly party food. I’ve never seen my kids turn their noses up at a sandwich, be it a humble grilled cheese or a plain turkey sandwich. And grown-ups like sandwiches too. Lay out a few varieties of bread, a few meats, a few cheeses, and some veggies, and let your guests go to town building their sandwich masterpieces!
Customize
The world truly is your oyster when you’re serving make-your-own sandwiches, so you’ll want to narrow down the options on your serving tray. This is what I would offer when serving sandwiches at a get-together:
Bread (white, wheat, rye, croissants)
Meats (turkey, ham, roast beef, bacon, grilled chicken)
Cheese (cheddar, Swiss, pepper jack, brie)
Veggies (lettuce, onion, tomato, avocado)
Spreads (mayo, mustard, Ranch, raspberry preserves)
Side dishes
Nothing goes with a sandwich better than potato chips. Offer a few different flavors and textures to satisfy any palate!
Pizza
For a smaller gathering, I highly recommend a make-your-own pizza situation! I don’t know a single person who doesn’t like pizza, so it’s a guaranteed slam dunk. This is especially true for kids. Simply portion pizza dough into personal pizza sizes and let your guests go wild with the toppings for this fun kid-friendly party food option!
Customize
I’ve selected a few of my favorite toppings, but if you want a full run-down of topping options, check out my ultimate list of pizza toppings.
Sauces (marinara, pesto)
Shredded cheese (mozzarella, provolone, cheddar)
Meats (pepperoni, sausage, chicken)
Veggies (spinach, mushrooms, olives, onions, peppers)
Side dishes
There is a reason that every neighborhood pizza joint has a stellar salad on the menu. Pizza and salad just go together. Don’t fight this natural pairing. Whip up a delicious salad to go along with your pizza. I like a romaine base and lots of veggie mix-ins with multiple dressing options!
Other posts
Need more entertaining tips? These posts might be helpful:
I hope this list of kid-friendly party food ideas gives you inspiration to have a get-together soon. What’s your favorite party food to serve when your guest list includes kids? Let us know in the comments below or over on Instagram @sarainseason.