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in General Printables· My Printables· Parenting

Family Dinner Conversation Starters

Share & Help Me Grow

This is a #Saucesome sponsored conversation but opinions are my own.

Is dinnertime at your house happy or stressful? Do you gather around the table with giggles or moans? Ragú® is intent on putting magic back in mealtimes, giving your family a #Saucesome dinner full of fun, frivolity, and meaningful moments. From unique recipes to silly moments to crazy weeknights… it’s all Saucesome with the delicious help of Ragú® Sauce.

Picky eaters? No more! Going to set up a pasta bar and let them fix their own plates. Everyone gets exactly what they want and no more grumbles. Plus, I can use these printable dinner conversation starter cards to really talk to my kids. Love, love, love! #Saucesome #ad

View the Printable Pack

At our house, each dinner starts out with “Mom, what’s for dinner?” which is followed by a plethora of diverse comments like “Ewww… I don’t like that,” “Do I have to eat?” and “Can I have cereal instead?”

Picky eaters? No more! Set up a pasta bar and let them fix their own plates. Everyone gets exactly what they want and no more grumbles. Plus, I can use these printable dinner conversation starter cards to really talk to my kids. Love, love, love! #Saucesome #ad

But, then there are nights when Ragú® comes to the rescue with great dinner ideas on their Facebook page, and instead of mutiny, I get a chorus of “This is the most awesome dinner ever!” or they just silently break into dancing.

For our family, Ragú® pasta sauces offers a simple solution to a complex problem… What’s for dinner? Plus, it’s easy so I can focus on being creative in other ways. For instance, we love setting up a pasta bar and letting the children fix their own plates.

Picky eaters? No more! Going to set up a pasta bar and let them fix their own plates. Everyone gets exactly what they want and no more grumbles. Plus, I can use these printable dinner conversation starter cards to really talk to my kids. Love, love, love! #Saucesome #ad

Family Pasta Bar

This is a fabulous way for everyone to get exactly what they want, especially when the kids have friends over. Here is how I do it:

  • Start two pots of water on the stove to come to a boil. One is for spaghetti noodles and the other for whatever I have in the pantry. (On this night, it was fettuccine.)
  • Put frozen meatballs into a casserole dish and pour Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce over the top. Place in the oven to cook according to the package directions on the meatballs. Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce has a delicious taste your whole family will love.
  • Sauté chicken to start the Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo. [Pin this and other great recipes from Ragú®.] Place the chicken in the oven to keep warm.

Picky eaters? No more! Going to set up a pasta bar and let them fix their own plates. Everyone gets exactly what they want and no more grumbles. Plus, I can use these printable dinner conversation starter cards to really talk to my kids. Love, love, love! #Saucesome #ad

  • Add broccoli to the pan where I cooked the chicken and pour Ragú® Classic Alfredo over the broccoli. Cover to heat through.
  • Heat another jar of Ragú® Classic Alfredo in a saucepan.
  • Drain and rinse noodles. Add a little olive oil if they are sticky.
  • Pull out an assortment of shredded and/or grated cheese for topping.
  • Set it all up on the counter and move them to the table for some family conversation!

Picky eaters? No more! Going to set up a pasta bar and let them fix their own plates. Everyone gets exactly what they want and no more grumbles. Plus, I can use these printable dinner conversation starter cards to really talk to my kids. Love, love, love! #Saucesome #ad

Having a family pasta bar is tons of fun and you can add variations by changing up the sauce you use or providing toppings like cooked and crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes, chopped spinach, sliced black olives, pepperoni, or whatever your family loves.

Printable Family Dinner Conversation Cards

When the children are seated around the table, smiling, giggling, and feeling accomplished because they were able to serve themselves, we pull a Family Dinner Conversation Card from the stack of 48 different cards and start chatting.

Picky eaters? No more! Going to set up a pasta bar and let them fix their own plates. Everyone gets exactly what they want and no more grumbles. Plus, I can use these printable dinner conversation starter cards to really talk to my kids. Love, love, love! #Saucesome #adView the Printable Pack

These cards include basic questions like “What’s your favorite color,” but also “What do you think makes a happy family?” and “What three qualities do you think make a good friend?” As parents, Bill and I want to move beyond the superficial and same-old questions and really get to know our children. I want to know what is going on inside those cute heads.

Get the Family Dinner Conversation Starter Card in the Quarantine Survival Printable Pack.

You receive:

  • 6 complete printable packs for preschool through early elementary
  • 1 ebook with printables
  • 1 printable bingo game
  • 3 BONUS resources and printables

View the Printable Pack

Free Diligence Lesson

Subscribe and receive my free diligence lesson plan with printable wall pages by email.

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Filed Under: General Printables, My Printables, Parenting

About Tabitha

Hi! I'm Tabitha! But, I bet you expected someone named "Penny." Long story made short, Penny is the coupon binder I started in 2010 when we were totally broke... as in BANKRUPT. Now, as a mom of five, I make 6-figures a year working at home and share ways to help you move from penny to profit while you raise a family with sense on cents.

« Sweet and Spicy Pecans (Weekend Potluck #172)
Summer Menu Planning – Ideas for Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas »

Comments

  1. Ashley says

    January 8, 2018 at 6:55 am

    Tabitha,
    I just wanted to say thank you for sharing the free prayer cards. Your blog is absolutely amazing!! I have really enjoyed the recipes and your personal story about teaching diligence. It was to good, I have shared it many of my friends. We laughed and nodded our heads as we can completely relate. You can see you have a heart for your children. Thank you for sharing with the rest. God bless you and continue to lead you in raising your family and bringing each of your closer together.
    -Ashley-

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to Take Back the Table for Family Meals - Meet Penny says:
    October 5, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    […] Story Cubes to be creative and tell three sentence stories. I love their reactions to our dinner conversation starters and seeing their faces as they concentrate, thinking of the perfect […]

    Reply
  2. Easy Ways to Increase Quality Family Time - Meet Penny says:
    February 4, 2018 at 8:00 pm

    […] So shake the belief that family time should be defined by trips and thrills. The best family time ideas involve cuddle time, reading books together, spending time looking into their eyes as they speak, cooking a meal together, or sharing conversation at the dinner table. […]

    Reply
  3. Is Fortnite Bad for Kids? A Fortnite Review for Parents - Meet Penny says:
    July 27, 2018 at 10:33 am

    […] Not exactly the kind of conversation this mom wants to have around the dinner table. […]

    Reply

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