Cook with your kids: Try these tasty kid friendly recipes together

Cooking with kids can be tricky. Many recipes don’t keep in mind that you may have a five- or six-year-old running around. Why not get them involved? Cooking with your child is not only a great way to bond, but is a great way to get kids excited about meal time and more open to try new foods. 

Here are a few of our favorite kid friendly recipes that we swear by, complete with instructions of how to get your kids involved.

PB&J Tacos

The great thing about this recipe is that it is customizable. Change up the fruit or ingredient quantities and you will still have an awesome breakfast, lunch, or snack for your child. Peanut allergies in your house? Swap the peanut butter for an alternative that works for you & your family! 

Ingredients

4 slices of your household preferred bread, 1/3 cup peanut butter, 1/3 cup jelly, 1/2 cup chopped strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup crushed graham crackers, Honey (for drizzling, optional)

Preparation

1. Using a large glass or biscuit cutter, cut bread into rounds and discard crust. If you feel comfortable, have your child do this step with a dull table knife.
2. Spread peanut butter to the edges of each bread round. Repeat with jelly, then sprinkle with strawberries, blueberries, and graham crackers. 
3. Drizzle with honey, fold like a taco, and serve.

Spaghetti squash pizza bowls

This recipe might seem adventurous for kids, but we love how hands-on it is. With scraping, sprinkling, & spraying, spaghetti squash pizza bowls are a healthy alternative to pizza night and an opportunity to introduce new foods to your child. 

Ingredients

2 small spaghetti squash, olive oil, salt & pepper, 2 cups pizza sauce, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, your child’s favorite pizza toppings (this is a great way to accommodate different allergy requirements. Also a good way to introduce new veggies into their diet). 

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Have your child line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then help them mist with cooking spray.  Set aside. 
2. Using a sharp knife, very carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  (You may need to microwave the squash for two-three minutes before cutting to soften it up.)  Help your child use a spoon to scoop out & discard the seeds and stringy pulp in the center of the squash.  
3. Brush the flesh of the squash evenly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place the squash halves cut-side-down on the prepared baking sheet, all of which your child can do.
4. Bake for thirty/thirty-five minutes, or until the inside of the squash is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.  (Larger squash halves will take longer to bake.)  Remove from the oven, and let the squash cool for several minutes. To expedite the process, place the squash in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. 
5. Using a fork, have your child shred the inside of the squash until all of the flesh is spaghetti-like.  Then add 1/2 cup (more or less) pizza sauce and 1/4 cup shredded cheese to each squash half, and gently give it a toss until all of the spaghetti-ed squash is evenly coated with the sauce.
6. Sprinkle the bowls evenly toppings on top of the sauce on each squash half, followed by about 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, followed by a few more pizza toppings as desired. Kids can help with this.
7. Turn the oven to broil.  Place the baking sheet with the spaghetti squash pizzas in the oven and broil for four-six minutes — keeping a close eye on the pizzas so that they do not burn — until the cheese is melted and starts to turn a little bit golden.
8. Take bowls out of the oven and serve after cooling for three – five minutes. 

Pro tip: If you have a younger child, have them check on food baking in the oven. That way, they will draw more of a connection between what they made and what comes out of the oven and will be more likely to eat it.

Baked potato soup

A hearty & fun lunch option during the winter, this recipe works best for older kids but could easily be changed to allow younger ones to help out. As always, make sure you’re watching your child at all times, especially by the stove. 

Ingredients

4 halved slices bacon, 6 medium scallions (thinly sliced, white and green parts separated), 2 cubed Russet potatoes, 3 cups half-and-half or whole milk, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparations

1. Place the bacon in a large soup pot and cook on medium heat until browned & crisp, about eight minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Children can help with pouring and stirring.
2. Have your child add the white parts of the scallions to the pot. Sauté until fragrant, about one minute. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Add the half-and-half or milk & salt and bring to a simmer. 
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft, about ten minutes. Meanwhile, chop or crumble the bacon. Again, kids can help with the adding, stirring, and pouring.
4. At this point, mash with a potato masher or purée with an immersion blender into your desired consistency. Kids might enjoy mashing but make sure you go over their work. Taste & season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve sprinkled with cheese, scallion greens, and bacon.