easy recipes for kids to cook

[poohtown]

i've decided that the kids are going to cook dinner at least twice a week during vacation - they are 16 and 9 (so mostly the sixteen year old), but I want fairly easy things for them to do together.

last night was the first night and they did a great job -

chicken fricassee
pasta w/ sauce
zucchini
garlic bread
ice - tea

(although the kitchen looked like a tornado)


they're making a chef salad next and have thought about tacos one night but then we're out of ideas.

 

[hydster]

If you have a crockpot have them make chicken enchiladas in it. Very simple...cook chicken in the crockpot all day long. About an hour before you want to fix them dump in 1/4 of a big can of enchilada sauce and let it warm in the crock. Take tortillas, spread some enchilada sauce on the bottom, some chicken from the crock and some cheese. Roll up and place in a pan where a little enchilada sauce has been put in the bottom. When all the tortillas are in the pan spoon more enchilada sauce over the top of the tortillas, sprinkle with more cheese, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 min, take foil off and bake 10 more min. Serve with refried or black beans, spanish rice and chips and salsa..easy and yummy!

Heidi

 

[pjlla]

Hope this doesn't sound dangerous, but I just taught my 9 year old DD how to cook on the grill. She has made grilled chicken breast, hamburgers, and hot dogs. And on my birthday she got up and made me a cheese omelet all by herself and brought it to me in bed!! (Although I did have to tell her that she needs an adult around when she uses the stove! ). She has really taken an interest in cooking lately, which baffles, me, as I HATE to cook. But my grandmother and my MIL were/are both terrific cooks!

How about meatloaf? Kind of like playdough that you eat! I let my DD mix it up with her (freshly washed) bare hands.... meat, eggs, bread crumbs, oatmeal, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, onions, peppers..... mix it up and put it in a loaf pan or form a loaf and cook it on a jellyroll pan. Throw a couple of baking potatoes in the oven and cook some fresh summer squash or carrots..... voila!! Dinner is done!........................P

 

[missypie]

I got that idea last summer and no one cooked a single meal. (DH is a SAHD and didn't make them.) This summer it started out well - one daughter has done 3 meals, one has done one and DS hasn't done a single one. In place of one meal, DD11 made a raspberry truffle cheesecake from scratch and it was so yummy! Another meal was "Chipotle's burritos." It was good, but a lot of work to make all those burrito fixin's. I'll follow this thread to see what ideas others come up with.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

Fajitas are another fairly easy one like tacos.

Another easy one I use is kind of a poor man's stroganoff:

Boil water for pasta. When pasta is cooking (usually takes 10 mins), brown 1 lb of ground beef. Once browned, add one can of cream of mushroom soup, mix thoroughly, season to taste with pepper (no more salt really needed), and simmer until pasta is done. Drain pasta, then mix it all together. Serve with veggie/salad of choice. Note: if you have sour cream on hand, you can add a healthy dollop before mixing in the pasta.

Quick and yummy!