Recipes for Baby Led Weaning!

Baby led weaning is one of the most fun parts of your baby getting older. I’m a huge advocate of BLW and I think it has lots of health benefits for your child, too! Here is my list of over ten recipes that are great for babies trying baby led weaning, and for the whole family! 

Some recipes were originally from another website; while I’ve changed them to cater to our tastes, I link to the original always. And the first time I make a new recipe, I make it exactly as it is written, so that I know how to adjust it in the future!

I also may have affiliate links in this article – thanks for supporting my little family!

And if you want to see my BLW content, check out my other website articles here and my eBook here. Thanks!

Chicken Pot Pie Casseroles

Don’t you just love when you find a reliable recipe and everyone devours it?! My kids and my husband love this take on chicken pot pie. It does come out with more sauce than those frozen pies you might have tried, but it’s fresh and savory and packed with yummy veggies!

Prep time: 25 min; Cook time: 40-60 min; Total time: 65-85 min

• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 2 cups frozen peas 
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (without skin)
• 14.5 oz chicken broth, less sodium
• 10.5 oz can of cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 pie crusts

Preheat oven to 350F and spray two glass or ceramic pie pans. Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet or pot, adding onion, carrots, peas, salt and pepper to taste. Cook while stirring until onion is translucent, about five minutes.

Add chicken, chicken broth, cream of chicken, and milk. Now you’re just mixing everything together and heating it up. Double check that carrot and chicken pieces are small enough for your little one. Evenly separate the filling into both pie pans, and cover with the pie crusts. Cut a few lines in the crust with a knife, and place in the oven. (I do put my pie pans on a cookie sheet in case they bubble over, but if you cut the pie crust for venting then this shouldn’t happen!)

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Check that the pie crust is starting to brown and then slice up and serve! 

Original recipe here.

Shepherd’s Pie

I hadn’t made this recipe since my three year old was doing BLW but I remember that everyone in my family loved it; so while I don’t have any edits to share, I did want to give you the original! It’s delicious and filling.

Find the original here!

Chicken Taco Meat in the Slow Cooker

Anyone can throw a few things in a crock pot for the day, right? Tender, juicy, flavorful chicken which can be used for tacos or quesadillas!

Prep time: 5 min; Cook time: 6 hours; Total time 6 hours

• 2-4 boneless skinless chicken pieces
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (I make my own based on this recipe minus the onion powder and light on the cayenne)
• 1 jar of salsa
• Pinch of salt
• Juice from 2 limes, optional
• Fresh cilantro, optional

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker (if it doesn’t have a non-stick coating, spray or coat with olive oil first). Ensure that the salsa and taco seasoning are spread evenly throughout the chicken pieces. Cook on low for six hours. Take each piece of chicken out to ensure it’s cooked fully (165F internal temperature), and then shred and return to the liquid. Serve with flour or corn tortillas, in a burrito bowl with rice, or mix with black bean salsa and yellow corn.

Healthy Cabbage Soup

Viola! A Healthy vegetable soup that’s easy to make (the only work is all the darn chopping), versatile, delicious, and that kids will eat?! Proud to say that this is of my own creation, mostly.

Check out my healthy cabbage soup recipe here!

Veggie Lentil Soup

This is another option for a hearty, filing soup that’s heavy on vegetables; this lentil soup adds the non-meat protein of lentils. The taste will change depending on what vegetables you add, but I love the delicious simplicity of it! You can freeze batches of it, too.

Prep time: 10 min; Cook time: 10 min; Total time: 20 min

• 16oz bag of brown lentils
• 8 cups vegetable broth (I make my own by boiling leftover cuttings from veggies like onion)
• 15.5 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups kale, ripped into small pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients into the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then release the pressure immediately. Alternatively, you could cook in a crock pot on low for 6 hours.

Egg in a Cup with Veggies

Quicker and less mess than making an omelet, you can give your child a high-protein meal, using just the microwave!

Total time: Less than 10 min

• One ceramic bowl, ramekin, or coffee mug, sprayed with cooking spray
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Splash of milk, optional
• Optional add-ins: chopped tomato, shredded spinach, sliced mushrooms, shredded cheese, etc.

Microwave on high for one minute, and then for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between with a fork until the eggs are cooked through. Pour into a bowl or plate to serve, and top with cheese, of course!

Mom’s Meatloaf

This is such a tender, flavorful meal, everyone will devour it! No gravy needed. We love to serve with a green veggie like peas or green beans.

Prep time: 10 min; Cook time: 60 min; Total time: 70 min

• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup breadcrumbs – we recommend Italian
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Large squirt of ketchup
• Small squirt of mustard

Spray two loaf pans and set the oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients together – I honestly prefer to use my hands – and shape into the loaf pans. Remember that meat shrinks as it cooks so don’t be afraid to fill those suckers up! 

Bake (I recommend putting them on a cookie sheet just in case some juice spills over) for an hour and check that the internal temperature is at 160F minimum. Slice and serve warm.

You can also freeze a raw loaf by wrapping and storing in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw and cook as normal.

Homemade Marinara Sauce (serve with pasta and/or zoodles)

I love this marinara sauce for anything from spaghetti to lasagna. It’s my Italian go-to, and it’s from my Mom! You could always brown sausage or ground beef to add to it as well. It smells incredible, has a great flavor, is super simple, and freezes beautifully! I make a huge batch about once every three months and we literally use it for something almost every week. Enjoy!

Prep time: 5 min; Cook time: 2-6 hours; Total time varies

• 2 tablespoons or so of olive oil
• One medium/large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• One large jar of prepared spaghetti sauce
• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes, 15 oz each
• 1 can of tomato paste, 15 oz
• 2 cans of tomato sauce, 15 oz each
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 cup red wine, optional
• 1/8 cup white sugar, optional
• Black olives, optional

First, get a big pot (soup pot or spaghetti pot).  It must be non-reactive as the tomatoes’ acid will make a non-stick pot react and taste bad; use a stainless steel or aluminum pot with no non-stick coating.  In the pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil.  Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper – – cook over low/medium heat until they sweat and the onion is translucent.  Keep stirring! 

Add the spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, wine, and just a bit of the sugar.  Keep stirring until everything is mixed together.  It will be watery at this point.  Turn the heat down to Low/Simmer and cook uncovered for 3-4 hours (or you can put it in a crock pot on Low).  The sauce will thicken up as it reduces down.  Taste!  If it’s too salty or acidic, add a little more sugar.  If it’s too sweet, add a little salt.

When the sauce has the consistency that you want, remove from heat. Serve warm or allow to cool and freeze in batches.

Vegetable Fried Rice

This is another recipe which is still on our family’s regular rotation. You can make the rice in advance if you need to, and like a lot of recipes on here, the options are endless when it comes to vegetable add-ins. 

Prep time: 5 min; Cook time: 30 min; Total time: 35 min

• 16 oz white or brown rice, cooked
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• Sesame oil 
• Olive oil
• 16 oz bag of frozen peas and carrots
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 eggs
• Low sodium soy sauce
• Green onions, optional

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and cook the chicken. While it’s still cooking, sauce the vegetables and garlic in a larger skillet. Once onion is translucent and carrots are soft, crack the eggs and pour into the large skillet, scrambling next to the vegetables. Once eggs are not glistening and chicken is cooked, pour chicken into large skillet. Add rice, and sesame oil and soy sauce to taste.

Check out the original recipe here.

Simple Pinto Beans

If you have an instant pot, this recipe is the epitome of amazing and easy. Only a few ingredients, and you don’t even have to soak the beans!

Prep time: 5 min; Cook time: 13 min; Total time: 18 min

• 2 pounds pinto beans
• 2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped in half
• 1/2 tsp salt, additional to taste

Sort through the beans to remove rocks or debris. Rinse in a colander and place in instant pot. Fill instant pot to the “three liter” line, add salt and the garlic. Cook on high pressure for 13 minutes, release pressure immediately. For beans that make more of a soup, add more water.

Pancit with Chicken

This recipe comes together quick with pancit noodles, marinated chicken, and vegetables. It’s also easily customizable, so add whatever veggies you have in the freezer! Bihon noodles are probably at your grocery store and are really affordable, too.

Prep time: 5 min (plus overnight marinade); Cook time: 30 min; Total time: 35 min

• 8 oz bihon rice noodles
• 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (you can make your own with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar, too!)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, sliced
• 1 cup onion, sliced
• Olive oil
• Soy sauce
• Green onion, optional

The night before: Marinate chicken, 2 cloves garlic, and teriyaki sauce in a baggie or container.

When you’re ready to cook: Soak the rice noodles as directed and set aside. Drain completely once they’re soft.

Heat a skillet with olive oil. Drain the excess marinade off the chicken (you can toss the extra marinade) and brown the chicken.

In a pot, heat a splash of olive oil and cook the garlic and onion. Once onion is translucent, add the carrots. After five minutes, add the cabbage and a tablespoon of soy sauce, and stir fry. Continue to stir until vegetables are tender.

Add the chicken into the pot with vegetables and continue to stir fry. Then add the noodles tot he pot with a splash of olive oil and 1/4 cup soy sauce, and mix well. Continue to cook until the noodles have mixed in well, cooked thoroughly, and absorbed the sauce.

Remember to make the bihon noodles short for your little one so that it doesn’t get caught while they’re swallowing!

And check out the original recipe here.

Applesauce Cake

This cake is amazing! Healthy, no added sugar or junk, and great when you have ripe bananas laying around. I used this for my kids’ one year old “smash cakes” and still continue to make it when I need to use up those browning bananas! The original does also include a cream cheese frosting recipe that’s amazing, but this “cake” recipe doubles as a healthy banana bread, so I usually don’t even need to make it. Remember that since this is a very moist cake-bread, it’ll go bad after two days or so, so eat it quick!

• 4 or 5 ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (cinnamon or plain)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 egg whites, beaten

Preheat oven to 400. Mash the bananas in a bow. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Then fold in bananas, applesauce, egg whites, and vanilla. Mix lightly, just until it’s blended.

Spray four 6″ round pans (or whatever loaf/bread pans you have) with non-stick cooking spray and pour the batter evenly into the pans. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Check that the cakes are “done” by sticking in a wooden toothpick; it should come out clean. Let them cool and then top with frosting or enjoy with butter (or if you’re like me, it’s perfect as it is!)

Here was the recipe I used originally.

Chocolate Hummus

This is an amazingly flavorful and healthy dip for pretzels, apples, or whatever else you can think of! Vegan and gluten free, and a great source of protein and fiber. This makes a large batch like in the photo, so feel free to halve it. Will last 5-7 days in the fridge.

Prep time: 5 min; Cook time: n/a; Total time: 5 min!

• 2 15-oz cans garbanzo or black beans (I use black), rinsed
• 7T maple syrup
• 9T backing cocoa, unsweet (I like Hershey’s Special Dark)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1T water (adjust to consistency that you like)
• Heavy sprinkle of cinnamon, optional

Blend all in a food processor. I add beans first, then cocoa and cinnamon, then the other wet ingredients. Use a spatula to stir and scrape the side of the bowl, and mix well. Serve as a dip with fruit – older kids and adults will love it with sliced apples or pretzels!

Whew! That’s a lot of food! Are you excited to cook up some delicious dishes for your little one? Let me know which ones you loved by commenting below, and of course share with us if you have more recipes and suggestions!

Just a reminder: you can see all of my BLW content here, my eBook here, and my Pinterest board (mostly other people’s genius) here.