Kid- Approved Peanut Butter Noodles

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Peanut Butter Noodles

These peanut butter noodles have super easy instructions and can be whipped up in just a few minutes.  All you need is a box of pasta, some peanut butter in your pantry, and a few other staples to make these super easy diners filled with a flavor your family will love!

Ingredients

• 1 package spaghetti
• 2 carrots shredded
• 1/2 cup purple cabbage shredded
• extra veggies if desired
• protein like chicken if desired

Peanut Butter Sauce

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• Two tablespoons brown sugar
• One teaspoon minced garlic
• One tablespoon sesame oil
• Three tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup water

Garnishes ( optional)

• sesame seeds
• chopped peanuts
• cilantro

Instructions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat all the ingredients for the peanut sauce.  Whisk all the ingredients together.   Peanut butter, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, and water.  Once everything is mixed, remove from heat and set aside.

2. Cook noodles in a large pot according to the directions on the package.  Chop vegetables.  Once the noodles are cooked,  drain them, toss them with the sauce and add vegetables.  Add other green onions, peanuts, sesame seeds, and garnishes you like. You can serve them right away, or you can store them in the fridge for later.

If you’re looking for a quick meatless,budget-friendly dinner idea that your kids will eat, then you’re in the right place!  These peanut butter noodles have super easy instructions and can be whipped up in just a few minutes.  All you need is a box of pasta, some peanut butter in your pantry, and a few other staples to make these super easy diners filled with a flavor your family will love!

These peanut butter noodles are the ultimate easy meal to make when you’re in a time crunch or short on money or ingredients.    These peanut butter noodles taste delicious when eaten hot or cold and work great to pack in the cooler for a picnic lunch.

My kids love the taste of peanut butter, which is a great way to serve them a meatless dinner filled with protein.    I love that this is a non-mayo pasta salad, so it is ideal for summertime weather.

My peanut butter noodle recipe has evolved from a traditional  Pad Thai recipe.   I have changed it, using ingredients I usually have, and toned the spice down a little to turn peanut butter noodles into a dish my kiddos love.

Kid-Friendly Peanut Butter Noodles

Ingredients

One package of spaghetti – you can use whole wheat or regular. For a gluten-free option, you can also use soba noodles, ramen noodles, or rice noodles.  

Two carrots,  shredded

1/2 cup of purple cabbage, chopped

Two green onions chopped

extra veggies if desired.  Any vegetable you would put into a stir-fry would also taste great.  I suggest adding sweet red bell pepper if you eat this cold.

Added protein if desired. Some protein ideas include chicken, shrimp, scallops, pork, or beef.

Peanut Sauce 

1/2 cup of peanut butter

One tablespoon of rice vinegar

Two tablespoons of brown sugar.   You can also use maple syrup.

One teaspoon of minced garlic

One teaspoon of sesame oil

One teaspoon of lime juice

Three tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce.  You can also use Tamari sauce if you’re gluten-free. 

One teaspoon of minced ginger

1/2 cup water

Garnish Ideas: optional 

sesame seeds

cilantro

chopped peanuts

Instructions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat all the ingredients for the peanut sauce.  Whisk all the ingredients together.   Peanut butter, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, and water.  Once everything is mixed, remove from heat and set aside.

2. Cook noodles in a large pot according to the directions on the package.  Chop vegetables.  Once the noodles are cooked,  drain them, toss them with the sauce and add vegetables.  Add other green onions, peanuts, sesame seeds, and garnishes you like. You can serve them right away, or you can store them in the fridge for later.

• Recipe Note: If you are using traditional Italian pasta noodles for this recipe,   I recommend cooking the noodles al dente. 

This recipe has a low prep time and is a great make-ahead recipe you can bring to work the next day for lunch.

Storage

These peanut butter noodles make tasty leftovers!  You can store these noodles in an airtight container in your fridge  for up to a week

Nutrition

 peanut butter is filled with protein vitamin b and vitamin e.  Vegetables contain fiber.  Even though there are carbohydrates in this meal, you can make these peanut butter noodle bowls lower in calories by adding loads of vegetables. 

These noodles are so easy, and they are a crowd-pleaser! Plus, they are a crowd pleaser! They are perfect for these hot summer nights!

Did you make this recipe?  I would love to hear how it turned out for you! Please comment below this post or tag me on social media and let me know how it worked out!  You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.