Small Plates

41 Easy, Kid-Friendly Recipes From Around the World

Use this list to plan your weeknight dinners.

July 17, 2017

Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo
1/41
Mashed Plantains With Fried Eggs (Mangú de Plátanos)
These Dominican mashed plantains from Diala's Kitchen are creamy, hearty, and full of flavor. They have a mellow earthiness that becomes a great canvas for colorful toppings like pickled red onions and avocado.
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Photo and Food Styling by Joseph De Leo
2/41
Okonomiyaki (“As You Like It”) Pancakes With Bonito Flakes
These savory Japanese pancakes are stuffed with shredded cabbage, red pepper, and your choice of meat or seafood. Top with crumbled seaweed, bonito flakes, and mayo, or leave unadorned. Our recipe comes from cookbook author Sonoko Sakai.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
3/41
Pigs-in-a-Blanket With Sauerkraut and Mustard
Why not eat finger food for dinner? These little bites bring in classic German flavors.
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Photo by Aubrie Pick
4/41
Super-Simple Overnight Porridge
This velvety Vietnamese rice porridge from Andrea Nguyen's Vietnamese Food Any Day gets deep flavor—and a jump-start in cooking—from soaking overnight in chicken or vegetable broth before simmering with fragrant ginger and scallions. Topping your own bowl is part of the fun.
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Photo by Peden & Munk
5/41
Salmon Teriyaki
Luscious salmon glazed in a mixture of sake, mirin, and soy sauce.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
6/41
Paneer Butter Masala
Golden paneer with crushed tomatoes and warming spices like ginger, garlic, cinnamon, and cloves.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Lillian Chou
7/41
Pork Wontons With Sesame Sauce
Making wontons is a fun family activity. Whipping an egg into the filling of these simple, folded dumplings makes them fluffy and moist.
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Photo by John Lee
8/41
Classic Chicken Pho (Phở Gà)
Easier to make than the beef version, chicken pho requires fewer ingredients and takes less finesse for superlative results.
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Christopher Testani
9/41
Perfect Fish Tacos
We don't know a single child who would refuse a crispy fried fish taco. (We don't know an adult who would refuse one, either.)
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
10/41
Pistachio and Pomegranate Meatballs (Kufteh-Ye Pesteh-o Anar)
Pistachios add their signature flavor to these turkey meatballs. Serve them as wraps with lavash and plenty of fresh herbs.
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Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Erika Joyce
11/41
Easy Hummus With Canned Chickpeas
A simple trick gets silky-smooth results from canned chickpeas—no rinsing or overnight soaking required.
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Photo by Ed Anderson
12/41
Candy Pork
Large chunks of pork shoulder are braised in a Vietnamese-style caramel sauce (made from a combination of fish sauce and palm sugar) that’s laced with Thai chilies, ginger, garlic, and shallots. Serve the fork-tender meat with rice and whatever greens you have in the fridge.
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Photo by Martin Poole
13/41
Paneer and Broccoli Masala
Frying the paneer in a little oil before stirring it through the masala not only makes it crispy—it also adds loads of flavor.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
14/41
Khara Huggi or Pongal
This one-pot dish, called khichdi in some regions, is made from rice, yellow lentils called moong dal, which are split mung beans without skin, and black pepper and cumin seeds fried in ghee or butter. The lentils and rice cook together, making for a creamy, rich bowl of comfort food.
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