Cooking can be fun for kids, especially with the right recipes. If you are planning on teaching your toddlers how to cook, start with some easy recipes that are minimally messy, not too time-consuming, and easy to prep. Once they master the basic ones, you can “level them up” to try other recipes to encourage your kids to cook. Here are seven easy recipes that you must teach your kids to begin with.
1. Avocado, Banana and Chocolate Delight
Your toddler will absolutely love the ABC pudding (trust us, they will also love the name)! After all, it has their favorite ingredient: chocolate. Start by making a puree of avocado, banana, and cocoa powder in a blender. Then, transfer the puree to a serving bowl before leaving it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. You can leave it in the fridge for longer if the pudding hasn’t set. Sprinkle some chocolate shavings on top, and let your kids enjoy this sweet, guilt-free treat.
2. Quesadillas
This recipe is more about assembling and less about cooking, which is good when teaching kids how to cook. They can whip up this dish independently when you are busy working for something filling and delicious. Get store-bought tortillas or pre-make them and keep them refrigerated. Teach them how to make some basic fillings from cheese, corn, spinach, leftover veggies, beans, or meat. Once they get the hang of making the stuffing, they can easily do it on their own.
3. Bacon and Egg-in-a-Hole
Another quick and easy recipe for your kids is sheet pan bacon and egg-in-a-hole breakfast. Just cut a hole in the bread slice, crack an egg into the hole, add sliced/diced bacon and some seasoning on top, and bake it until the eggs are cooked. And voila, breakfast is served. However, never leave your kids unsupervised while operating the oven.
4. Pigs in Blanket
Cut, roll, and bake. Three steps, and the dish is ready. Get pastry or pizza dough from the store, or make it at home and refrigerate it. Cut the sausage into bite-size pieces and the dough into triangle-shaped pieces. Now, roll the sausage in the blanket (dough) and bake them until golden brown. Your kids can get creative and use a variety of fillings like carrots, bacon, cheese, and so on.
5. Chicken Parmesan Casserole
This dump-and-bake one-pot chicken parmesan casserole recipe is easy to make as next to no prep is required. Stir all the ingredients (like pasta, marinara sauce, water, salt, pepper, mozzarella, and chicken) together in a pot. Then cover it and bake it in an oven. Once baked, mix it all together, sprinkle some parmesan and breadcrumbs on top, and broil till the topping is golden brown. Once you have garnished the dish, dig in with your kids.
6. Tortilla Wrap
If you are looking for healthy dinner ideas, tortilla wraps might be the way to go. Let your kids grab all the leftover veggies and meat from last night, whip it together with their favorite sauce, and spread it on the tortilla in quarters. Then, fold the tortilla into a triangle for a quick grab-and-go meal.
7. Rainbow Salad
Another easy recipe you can teach your kids is a rainbow salad. Beat cream cheese with sugar, lime juice, and zest until the mix is nice and smooth. Then add whipped cream to the mixture and fold. Then, assemble the fruits and the whipped mix in a jar and let it chill for a few minutes before diving in.
Cooking is an essential life skill every child must know for survival and independence. So teach these easy recipes to your kids today and watch them start enjoying cooking in no time!
