Kids in the Kitchen: Recipes a 10-Year-Old Can Make

Our grandson likes to cook and is quite serious and creative with the food he prepares…serious enough that I will give him a copy of my family cookbook and a couple of unique tools for Christmas. A few months ago, Josef called me to get my recipe for Frozen Fruit Salad, an easy dish but one that requires several steps. I wasn’t certain he could make it but apparently, it turned out well for his family. This summer as he visits his Dad, he spends a couple days a week with us and on one of those days, we make it a practice to create some dishes he can serve at home for his family.

Our first activity was way too easy for this budding chef. I gave him a package of cookie mix, showed him how to operate the oven and left him to it. (I did remove the cookie pan from the oven, because I didn’t want to risk his getting burned.)  It didn’t take long to realize that Josef enjoys the challenge of from-scratch cooking, so future efforts concentrated on recipes that he had to read and prepare from scratch.

Next up was Sliders, a dish that Josef refers to as his specialty. His recipe is below.

Josef’s Sliders

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Beef
1 3/4 Cups Freshly Grated Parmesan
1/4 Cup Fresh Bread Crumbs (Panko crumbs will work)
1 1/2 TBSP. Olive Oil
1 TBSP Chopped Onion
1 Egg
1 tsp. Oregano

Combine all ingredients. Form balls and flatten each ball into a patty. Place on baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Wash hands well with soap and warm water. Fry the burgers in a skillet over medium heat until done.

Cut buns in half and build your burger with lettuce, tomato, and whatever condiments you like.

Our grandson really likes my Frozen Fruit Salad and asked me to make it the following week.  To accompany the salad, Josef had to learn how to make  a Surprise Chicken Casserole. This recipe came to me from my sister-in-law, Carole Fernandez, many years ago and was a hit with our grandson because of the unusual topping.

Surprise Chicken Casserole

1 Can Chicken Breast Meat or 2 Boneless Chicken Breasts, Cooked
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Diced Celery
1/2 Cup Chopped Almonds
1/2 tsp. Salt and Pepper
1/2 Cup Mayonaise
Saltine Crackers
Potato Chips

Dice the chicken. Mix all ingredients together except crackers and potato chips. Gently add 1/4 Cup crushed Saltines to the mix and stir gently. Pour into a large, greased casserole dish.  Top with crushed potato chips. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until thoroughly heated.

* I like to add thawed, frozen peas and grated cheese to this dish before baking. Chopped pimiento is nice for some added color.  Josef was allowed to make the additions he preferred to this dish.

Another day, Josef learned how to make Chicken Salad.

Carol’s Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

3 Boneless Chicken Breasts, Cooked and Chopped
1/2 Envelope of Fresh Gourmet Brand Cranberries & Walnuts
1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 Cup Chopped Celery (if desired)
Mayonaise

Mix the first 4 ingredients and add Mayonaise to your taste. The Fresh Gourmet product comes in several flavors and is found on an end cap near the lettuce at Walmart.

Josef uses a food chopper to reduce the size of the chicken. It’s safer for him to use than a sharp knife.

 

If your grandchild spends enough time with you, cooking is an excellent activity for both of you. It involves math skills, reading and creativity and most importantly, bonding time with you.