Cooking is a basic survival skill, which is true. But it doesn’t always have to be a chore. As you can see, there are lots of people – whether professional chefs or home cooks – who find joy in cooking. That’s why it’s better to impart this notion of cooking and preparing food to your own children while they’re still young – that it is not just a job, it can also be really fun! It’s always enjoyable to make things from scratch. Cooking also helps you to bond closer to your kids as well.
The following are a few good recipe suggestions for your kids to start. Since cooking works with heat, you should closely supervise your children in the kitchen, but eventually, they will be able to cook on their own. Who knows, they will become chefs in the making!
It’s also a good idea to find kid-safe cooking tools on department stores or online to minimize the likelihood of injuries.
1) No-Bake Peanut Butter Treats
It requires ingredients that you can easily find in your pantry: 1/3 cup of chunky peanut butter, ¼ cup of honey, a half teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/3 dry milk powder (preferably nonfat), a 1/3 cup of instant oats and two tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs.
Mix the wet ingredients first (peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract). Mix them together until combined well. Add in the rest of the ingredients, mix well and shape them into small balls – that’s the most fun part! Cover and keep them in the fridge to chill… then they’re ready to eat!
2) Bread roll pizzas
Most kids love pizzas, and we’re sure they will be thrilled to make their own! Split the rolls in half to form the “dough” and let your kids customize their own toppings – pizza sauce, pepperoni, many kinds of cheeses, ham, bacon, pineapple – it’s up to them! Pop the pizzas into the oven and wait until they’re warm and cooked well.
3) Easy Fruit Pops
They’re basically just Jello and Kool Aid. But kids will definitely enjoy making them – and eating them as well. Plus, Kool-Aid comes in a variety of colors and flavors to choose from, so that adds the fun part of making them.
Ingredients include a packet of Jello, a packet of Kool-Aid, ¾ cup sugar, two cups of boiling water and two cups of cold water. Combine all the ingredients, except the cold water, and stir until the dissolved. Then add the cold water and pour into popsicle molds. Freeze for at least four hours until set and solid.
Another fun alternative is to pour the ingredients into cute little Gummy Bear-shaped molds. You can find silicone Gummy Bear molds on this link “Cool Ice Cream and Dessert Accessories.”
4) Easy Nutella Brownies
Who doesn’t like Nutella, especially the kids? Now your little ones will be able to enjoy Nutella more by making these easy and chewy three-ingredient brownies!
This recipe just calls for: 1 ¼ cup Nutella, two large eggs and ½ cups of flour.
Combine all the ingredients and mix them together until the batter becomes smooth. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan. Have the oven pre-heated at 350 degrees Fahrenheit before popping the pan into the oven. Make sure that the brownies won’t get overbaked (otherwise they will become dry and won’t be fudgy).
5) Tacos
Kids also love tacos, and this is the perfect chance for them to make their own beloved snack! It is easy to prepare and kids can assemble the ingredients of their choice into the store-bought taco shells.
6) Cheese fondue platter
It’s quick, easy, and offers a great variety of morsels for the kids (and the kids-at-heart): pretzels, ham cubes, apples, boiled veggies, biscuits and bread sticks. Let the bigger kids melt the cheeses to make a cheese dip, and the younger ones assemble all the bite-sized ingredients on a big platter. This cheese fondue platter is perfect either as an appetizer or a snack while watching TV!
7) Mini Lasagna Cups
This is an easy and fun twist on a classic Italian dish! Use won ton wraps and put them into a cupcake and muffin pan. Add the ingredients normally found in a lasagna such as marinara sauce and ground beef. Kids would love to add lots of cheese on these cups! Bake these mini lasagna cups into a pre-heated oven and wait until the cheese begins to melt.
8) Creamy shakes
Creamy shakes are yummy treats to cool for the hot, sweltering summer months! The ingredients are easily obtainable — milk, chocolate, bananas, strawberries, M&M’s, Oreos, ice cream and anything else that your children fancy! If your kids haven’t used a blender, then it’s the perfect time to do it — but be sure to keep your watch over them as they use this kitchen appliance. Younger children may help in the preparation by pressing the “pulse” button of the blender and making sure that the ingredients are well blended. For the older kids, let them measure the ingredients — it is also a great opportunity to teach them about properly measuring wet and dry ingredients.