Easy Kid-Friendly Instant Pot Recipes for Moms

Instant Pot Crack Chicken is a NO BRAINER for moms. It's by far the most popular recipe on my blog, and gets rave review from everyone who tries it – including my super picky 4-year-old, who refuses to eat anything that doesn't come from the microwave.

Crack Chicken is creamy, bacon-y, ranch-y deliciousness, and it couldn't be easier. You can make the whole thing in 40 minutes flat, and it uses less than 10 ingredients – most of which you probably already have handy.

The reason I love it for kids, is that you can serve it a million different ways – so there's bound to be a way for even the pickiest kids to like it.

We serve it on hamburger buns, on Hawaiian rolls, on baked potatoes, over brown rice, over noodles... you could even serve it multiple ways to appease different tastes between your kids.

Mac & Cheese goes without saying, right? It's the ULTIMATE kid-friendly meal, and making it in the Instant Pot is just a bonus – it's not necessarily faster than the box mix, but it takes all the work out of it. You just add everything to the pot, seal it, and go. No watching, waiting, or stirring.

I'll admit, I'm a Kraft girl through and through. Nothing beats that bright orange powder, in all its unhealthy goodness. But this Mac & Cheese recipe is as close as it gets for me.

It's creamy, smooth, and flavorful. And I love that I know exactly what's in it, without having to decode all kinds of indecipherable ingredients.

Plus, I find that it reheats better than the boxed stuff. I'm all about leftovers, and this mac and cheese maintains its creaminess even after sitting in the fridge and being microwaved – just add a splash of milk.

Instant Pot Old-Fashioned Oatmeal is a great kid-friendly recipe to keep in your back pocket.

My kids call this "special oatmeal" (really, anything that's not out of the microwave is ~special~ some days...), but they have no idea who simple it really is.

It only requires 5 ingredients, and they're ALL pantry staples, so there's a good chance you can throw this meal together quickly on a whim.

I'm certainly not opposed to a quick oatmeal packet when we're in a rush, but I love that I can control exactly how much sugar goes into homemade oatmeal, and love that I can use the whole, old-fashioned oats – I think it keeps them full a bit longer. (Staying ahead of the hanger is crucial in our family.)

I love to make a big batch on the weekend, and stick it in the fridge for a quick reheatable breakfast for the kids on busy mornings.

It's sweet, filling, and filled with chunks of perfectly-softened apples. It's like apple pie that you can feed your kids at 8am without feeling bad – who's gonna complain about that?!

Instant Pot Italian Sausage Pasta is another reader favorite AND family favorite over here!

It's actually my personal favorite Instant Pot recipe, because it's SO fast – truly a 30-minute-meal. It's also one of the very few meals that both my kids can and {more importantly} WILL eat willingly.

This should be a go-to weeknight recipe for every mom. It's got all the makings of a perfect kid-friendly meal:

1. It's fast – fight that toddler hanger.

2. It's easy – fight that mom rage.

3. It's customizable – fight that picky eating.

4. It's a one-pot meal – fight that mess.

These little muffin bites are SO good. They're perfect to have on-hand for breakfast or after school snacks.

Since they've got greek yogurt, eggs, and oats in them, they're more filling than the average carb-blast toddlers get, so they fend off the hanger better than most snacks.

Plus, they're totally customizable – swap out blueberries for chocolate chips, nuts, raisins... whatever will convince your kids to put them in their mouths. (The struggle is real.)

And while we're talking about blueberries... how about this blueberry oatmeal variation? Oatmeal is just so easy to make ahead and keep on-hand, so make it fairly regularly. I always try to change up the flavors to keep it interesting!

This blueberry vanilla combo is my favorite kind so far – even my kids call their "special oatmeal!"

This Instant Pot Chicken, Broccoli and Rice is another kid-friendly favorite of mine. It only takes about 30 minutes altogether, and it's got really basic ingredients – nothing to scare off those picky kids with eagle eyes for exotic ingredients and adventurous vegetables.

It's not often you can call a recipe with broccoli front-and-center "kid-friendly," but this one fits the bill – it's cheesy and creamy (basically the two key ingredients in any toddler meal), so they'll forget all about the fact that it has nutrients.