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Hello, sweet summertime! This is the best time of year for fresh produce and healthy dinners. Put your homegrown squash and eggplant to use with this kid-friendly ratatouille recipe.
This quick and healthy dinner is a perfect family-friendly meal!
Kid-Friendly Easy Ratatouille Recipe
Ratatouille is a traditional French dish made from fresh summer vegetables including squash, eggplants, and tomatoes. It sounds complicated, but it’s easy to prepare.
The best part is you only need one baking dish to cook it, so there is minimal clean-up involved!
I love ratatouille because it’s a healthy vegetarian meal, but satisfies my craving for pasta or pizza. Also, it is a very clean meal and does not include any processed grains.
This dish is perfect for multiple diets including vegans, clean eating, and low-carb diets.
You can customize this dish based on what produce you have on hand and your personal preferences. I love adding extra red bell peppers for their sweet flavor.
Grow Your Own Vegetables
There is something so rewarding about cooking from what you grew yourself. Squash and eggplant are easy to grow and grow well in many climates.
If you don’t have a family garden, it is never too late to start one. You may not yield any peppers at this point, but you can always prepare for next season.
Read more about involving your family in the garden here.
Kid-Friendly Meals
From the day my little one was born, I decided I did not want to make “kids meals” and “adult meals”. Instead, I always aim to make foods that everyone can enjoy together.
This ratatouille dish absolutely falls into that category.
One tip for people with young children is to cut up all of the
Another tip for toddler moms, try peeling some of the vegetables. My toddler is going through a phase where she does not like the peel on foods. I cut the peel off the eggplants and she loved it!
You can even turn dinner time into an all-day affair. Watch the Disney movie, Ratatouille first, then spend the evening prepping dinner as a family.
Studies have shown that kids who are involved in cooking are less likely to be picky eaters. Involve your kids and help them develop healthy eating habits.
Have fun with the recipe and enjoy as a family!
Kid Friendly Easy Ratatouille Recipe
Equipment
- casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2 tbs Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Large Eggplant
- 2 Medium Yellow Squash or Zucchini
- 1 Medium Red or Yellow Bell Pepper
- 3 Medium Tomatoes Or Substitute 1 Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme or Rosemary
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1 handful Fresh Basil (1/4 cup)
Instructions
Pre-Heat Oven to 400F
- Lightly grease your casserole dish with the olive oil.
Prepare The Vegetables
- Crush the garlic cloves.
- Thinly slice or dice eggplant, squash, tomatoes, onions, and bell pepper.For younger children, I recommend dicing before cooking to save you time later.
Prepare Your Dish
- Place all vegetables into your oiled casserole dish.
- For sliced vegetables, layer them one at a time. For diced vegetables add them to the dish and mix evenly.
- Sprinkle remaining spices on top of vegetables.
- Place Bay Leaf on top.
Bake
- Cover and Bake for 40 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
- Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle some fresh parmesan cheese on top for a little extra flavor at the end.
- Enjoy!
This dish can be enjoyed as a main entree or with a side of pasta or meat. You can also prep it ahead of time and throw it in the oven for an easy weeknight meal during the busy week!
If you like this dish, you will also love our vegetarian sweet potato tacos and coconut curry.
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WOW! They would definitely get there vegetables! I definitely need to make this with my boys. 🙂