Bringing kids into the kitchen not only teaches them valuable skills that will serve them well later in life, it gives you time with them. And we all know that time is precious. Start using the time you’re making dinner to involve the kids.
There are nights where you’re eating on the run or you have company coming and it might not be the best time to have a little one helping you. But, on the nights where it’s just the family and you don’t have any place to be, involve your kids in the process.
If you’re thinking, there’s no way my child could be in the kitchen while we’re making dinner, let me help you out with some recipes. These are recipes that are very easy, kid-friendly and some don’t even involve handling raw meat or a knife.
Of course, if there are steps that are more suitable for an adult, feel free to give your child the task of setting the table while you are cutting or handling meat. But, each of these recipes should allow plenty of steps that kids can do all by themselves.
Bonus Tip: Purchase a rotisserie chicken for any recipe that calls for ‘cooked chicken.’ That will save you one extra step in the kitchen and make the recipe even easier.
9 Family Dinners Perfect for Beginning Kid Cooks
- One Little Project makes Mini-Chicken Pot Pies that involve only 4 ingredients. This is a recipe even a toddler could help with.
- Another very simple recipe from Sizzling Eats, Amazing Pepperoni Cheese Pizza Bombs, is going to please the pizza-loving crowd.
- This recipe from Cupcakes and Kale Chips is like a cross between BBQ Chicken Pizza and a Mexican tostada. BBQ Chicken Tostadas would be a great recipe to use a rotisserie chicken.
- Love Grows Wild’s twist on macaroni and cheese involves slightly more steps and ingredients. But, any elementary aged child could help make Chicken and Broccoli Shells and Cheese.
- I call recipes like 7 Can Chicken Taco Soup ‘dump recipes.’ The blog, Together as a Family, know the value of recipes that only involve opening cans and ‘dumping’ them into a pot. When you’re short on time, this is perfect.
- Kids will love to help make Taco Pop Tarts. Think of the yummy breakfast treat and then Babble turns it into dinner.
- Another recipe by Betty Crocker that the littlest helper could make is the Easy Ravioli Bake. And it looks yummy too!
- I wanted to include a sloppy joe recipe in this round up and I can across Pillsbury’s Unsloppy Joes. Kids will love this twist on the sloppy joe.
- Your tweens might enjoy this Easy Tomato Tortellini Soup by Belly Full. It’s a very easy recipe, but it looks a little on the fancy side.
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Kristin