Cooking with your kids is one of the best ways to bond them especially now that schools are closed and many parents are being encouraged to work from home.
It’s interactive and they can pick up one or two skills while you’re at it.
As you choose what to prepare with them, it’s best to stick to meals that are fun and interesting, something that won’t take too long because they’ll get tired and bored and simple recipes which they can learn to make on their own.
Here is a list of great simple meals you can enjoy preparing with your kids.
Pancakes
A favorite of mine, this is one of those meals kids will enjoy preparing with their parents. It’s exciting to grab the ingredients, mix them together and watch it all unfold into fluffy, delicious pancakes. The entire process barely takes time so none of you will feel tired by the time you’re done. I can guarantee they’ll be so happy to eat the pancakes they helped make.
Masala fries
There’s nothing too interesting about making the usual plain fries. I don’t think they’ll want to go through that long process of chopping and peeling. It’s not even safe for them to handle knives and other sharp tools that might injure them. When you add a twist and decide to make masala fries, they’ll be more interested to see what the process is like. Try different spices each time and let them decide what recipe they love most.
Pizza
Everybody knows kids love pizza. Instead of always buying takeaways, you can prepare and enjoy your own homemade pizza once in a while. Keep the process short and buy pizza crust so you won’t have to worry about that. It’ll be interesting for them when they help pick out the ingredients especially the toppings. Pizza will definitely win them over.
Veggie stir fry
Preparing this with them will show them how easy it is to make healthy meals that are delicious. Many kids aren’t fans of vegetables so this is a great way to show them that healthy food doesn’t have to be flat and boring.
Spicy mash potatoes
Once you teach them this recipe, they can eventually prepare the meal on their own. It’s literally a five step process so it’s nothing too complicated. Show them which spices to use, how to make it creamy and maybe one day they can be the ones making the delicious mash potatoes for you.
Vegetable soup
Prepare some yummy soup with them from scratch or spice up pre-packaged soup powder that’s found in almost every supermarket. Let them be involved when picking out the vegetables they’d want in the soup because it’s a great way to convince them to eat more veggies. It also doesn’t take long to prepare soup so they won’t get bored easily.
Baked chicken and pasta
Kids will enjoy helping you with this. They’ll learn how to marinate the chicken, how to use the oven, setting the timer so that the chicken doesn’t burn and all the steps that go into preparation. They’ll also enjoy helping you put cheese into the pasta if you’re adding some and this will make them feel like a real chef.
Fresh juice popsicles
There’s nothing kids love more than dessert time. Fresh juice popsicles are one of the easiest and most delicious desserts you can make in the comfort of your home. All you need for this is a popsicle tray and your fresh juice. You can prepare your own freshly squeezed juice or buy some from the store. For that extra touch, add pieces of fruit in the tray as well. Let them pour the juice into the trays then put them in the freezer for around four hours. They’ll be excited and eager to be in charge of the time and let you know when they’re ready.