Toddler Dinner for Nephew and My Brothers Wife.

I would ask the mother what her preference would be.......my kid eats or don't eat whatever everyone else is having. But if you want to make it special, get her involved....making pizza sounds like fun!

S.

I would also ask her if there are things that he doesn't like. Most 3 yr olds are past the "picky eater" point, but you never know.

My little guy (same age) LOVES ordering these when we go out:
- Burgers
- Tacos
- Pasta with meatballs
- Chicken "legs" (kids order of wings)
- Pizza (he's a plain cheese kind of kid)

You could do any of the above with sides and a glass of milk and he'd love it! Don't forget to make a kid friendly dessert... cupcakes or chocolate chip cookies are always a huge hit!

Something kid friendly...hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza, spaghetti, ziti, tortellini, ravioli, chicken nuggets. Macaroni and cheese with any of the meats already mentioned.

What do you like to eat? Kids can eat what you eat, mostly.

If you want to make it fun, try chicken nuggets (baked) or tater tots but there's really no reason not to offer him chicken breast and pasta if that's what you're in the mood for. My family offers the option of sauce so all pasta is plain and then you add the sauce you want. DD likes butter and SD likes butter and parmasan.

If you serve steamed broccoli, consider offering it with grated cheese on top. Or you can have everyone make their own tacos or mini pizzas. My DD likes to eat what I call "deconstructed taco" - she eats the ingredients, but not together. She's starting to imitate us, but I didn't care if she ate her shell like chips and then her cheese and then her meat.

How about a build your own pizza bar? My 3-yr old would love it!

Dinosaur chicken nuggets.
It is chicken nuggets shaped as Dinosaurs.
Costco has it.
And other grocery stores.
Usually in the frozen aisle.
Easy.
Tastes good.
Serve it with a dip. Or Ketchup etc. Kids like dips.
And maybe mashed potatoes?
You can make shapes with that.

3 year olds, don't eat much or they are picky.
They don't care how fancy a dinner is or not.

Or is the Mom picky about what he eats?

I would be more concerned about a nice dinner for your brothers wife and make it a memorable experience for HER, you and your husband. A three year old menu can be as simple as small portions of what your are fixing for the whole family....UNLESS, you want to make something special for a family member that you do not see often, such as beef stroganoff, pork tenderloin, roast chicken, steak diane etc.. Then, for the children, perhaps some cut veggies, mac and cheese, apple sauce, and if the child eats meat, small cuts of hot dogs, chicken tenders, hamburger sliders, etc.

The child will forget what he ate for dinner tomorrow, your brother's wife will remember how your received her for a long time.

Blessings....

Most 3 year olds will eat most food. Ask the mother if there's anything, specifically, he doesn't like, and then work around it. He might just be at the age where he wants to be grown up and like the adults.

At 3, all my kids had different favorite foods, but here's a sampling of them:
Chicken soup, with noodles served on the side (not in the soup) w/butter and salt on them.
Mild fish (tilapia) with macaroni and cheese and baked beans.
Shepherds pie (meat pies are much easier to make than you'd think).
Baked oven fries with pan fried chicken thighs and corn.
Sushi and miso soup.

Or, you know, hotdogs and mashed potatoes usually go over well. lol

Don't forget to have something sweet to snack on after dinner. Jello jigglers are always fun, as is ice cream with a couple topping choices. Cookies are great, but some kids don't like chocolate chips, so keep that in mind. Also, fruit parfaits go over great with kids: sweetened yogurt, fruit, and whipped cream layered in clear glasses.

My son LOVES on the stove enchiladas and they are good for company too!
In the morning pre heat your crock pot and put in a Roast Steak (looks like a giant steak) mostly frozen still - season with Salt Pepper and Warchestershire Sauce - NOTHING else in the pot and walk away for the day. When the smell is whafting thru the house and teasing you (6-7hrs later) then you want to take your largest skillet and put in some EVOO and minced garlic, let the garlic brown a touch, add some enchilada sauce (I like La Victoria) then place your tortillas (I like white corn) make sure by now you have turned your heat to med low. Take some of that YUMMY meat and begin to shred it and place it on the tortillas, add some sauce then tortillas, more meat, sauce tortillas (you get the pattern) until all you have are tortillas on top and a few nice layers (like lasanga) then top with your favored cheese - I like a mix of Sharp Cheddar and "Quesadilla Cheese" from the Mexican Grocery or you can do the "Mexican Blend" pre shredded your choice. Put the lid on the skillet let cheese melt and everything blend together.
I serve with Rice, Refried Beans (a touch of cheese on top) and have available guac, sour cream or greek yogurt, and chives. It is an easy clean up since it's just a crock pot and a skillet really. You can get Uncle Ben's microwave mexican rice and heat up the beans in the mirowave too!

I would plan the dinner for adults and add the toddlers favorite food to the menu. Call and ask what it is. Doesn't really matter if it goes with the rest of the meal. I had a nephew who loved grilled cheese so when they came to dinner I made dinner for the rest of us and a grilled cheese sandwich in addition for him. He ate the sandwich and some of what we were having. All of us were happy.

Is he a notoriously picky eater?
Allergic to anything?

If he's fairly picky (mine isn't so tiny frame of reference here) I'd be inclined to go with hamburgers, homemade pizza, pasta & meatballs, tacos, breaded boneless chicken, veggies & dip, fruit.......

If he's not picky--anything goes! Do you have a specialty? Lasagna? Etc.?

I would focus on the dinner for my SIL and make sure she has a special dinner vs putting all efforts toward a 3 yr old.

Of course inquire about any allergies, favorites, etc then go for it and create a wonderful dinner.

I never focused on making our family dinner then a toddler dinner. Our daughter ate portions of what we had for dinner.

Funny story... At 4 yrs old, she was at moms day out and they went around the room naming favorite foods/dinners to be displayed outside the classroom for family night. The teachers met me at the door, asked me if it was true because my daughter answered .... salmon, steak and chicken whereas the majority of the class was pizza, chicken nuggets and peanut butter. Go figure!

Enjoy your meal planning! My baby is 17 now, loves cooking and still loves salmon, steak and chicken!!!