Teaching kids how to cook will take some simple prep work and flexibility.
Teaching kids how to cook also involves the right expectations, your time in the kitchen with your child can be an adventure you’ll both enjoy.
Cooking is undoubtedly an essential milestone in a child’s development. This is one perfect way to teach them about health, nutrition, and safety; it helps reinforce math and science skills and instills a sense of pride and confidence when they accomplish tasks and rise to responsibility. But take this as an encouragement to start teaching your kids (of any age) to cook because it is a fantastic way to bond with them. The moments you share making (and later eating) everything from cupcakes to pasta bakes will be some of your best memories – for you and your child. (Plus, when your child is old enough to cook independently and asks if they can make dinner, you can say, “Yes!” and take the night off!)
Want to teach your kiddo this critical life skill but need help figuring out how to get started? Here are some recipes and milestones to help.
For Little Ones: Zipper Bag Fruit Salad
Once you have cut up the fruit for this easy recipe, it is time to involve even your smallest chefs. Kids of all ages will love spooning ingredients into the bag, shaking it up, and pulling mint leaves off their stems for garnish. This is also one great opportunity to talk to them about health and nutrition — fruit is a healthy food that gives us the energy to run, jump and play!
For Beginners: Your Favorite Quesadillas
Kids have a short attention span, so quesadillas are an excellent recipe for a quick cooking lesson. You can also round up some ideas for fillings, but you can use whatever you have. Take a moment to teach your beginner cooks about safety (wash those hands before cooking! Stay back from the hot burner!) and then let them fill and assemble the quesadillas on a parchment-lined sheet pan. A grown-up can pop the pan into a preheated oven (under the broiler for about one minute per side) and make lunch or dinner. An alternative is to make the quesadillas and put them in a heated frying pan on medium heat and turn them to toast and melt.
For More Advanced Kiddos: Alfredo Shrimp Scampi Dump Dinner
Once our own kids are a little older and have a command of the basics, it is high time to start teaching them how to read a recipe and prepare their ingredients in advance. “Dump” dinners are perfect because, for the most part, you only need to add all the ingredients to a casserole dish and bake. This allows kids to focus and not feel overwhelmed — and plenty of time to play while dinner cooks. And, depending on their skill and age level, you can even start teaching them to use some handheld kitchen tools so that they can learn how to safely grate cheese, zest lemons, or chop veggies and herbs (with plenty of adult supervision, of course!).
For Kids Who Can Cook on Their Own: Slow-Cooker Sloppy Joes
Got a teen or tween who loves to cook and needs little to no supervision in the kitchen? Teach them to use appliances like the slow cooker. They can make the entire dish from start to finish, a major confidence booster! You should stay close and watch from a distance the first few times they cook independently. Keep the communication lines open and let them know they can ask questions anytime — but give them the space and autonomy to control the process.
For All Ages: Generations of Good Food
Eleanor Gaccetta’s a taste of home on “Generation of Good Food” is a compilation of nearly 200 recipes, including main dishes, bread, cakes, pies, cookies, and candy from the six generations of the author’s mother’s family, other relatives, and many of her friends. Ellie conceptualized the book after the death of her mother. She gathered all her mother’s favorite cookbooks and recipes, separated them by categories, and printed them at a local office supply store as gifts for her nieces, great-nieces, and a few close relatives. During the pandemic, she transcribed all the recipes, added stories of her memories of many, and had the book published. Aside from sharing easy-to-learn recipes, the author also tells some heartfelt stories of Italian life that brought families together around the table. Even if one does not have any skills in cooking, this book will pique the interest of everyone and urge them to cook, bake, and eat
The Happy Hammock 