So it’s school holiday time again, which means more chances to hear “I’m hunnnngry”. But rather than throwing a sandwich at it, how about teaching the young ones six key dishes so that if push came to shove, they could fend for themselves through hungry times. They’re less likely to say “I don’t feel like that” if they’ve made it themselves too.
Morning magic
They can probably already pour themselves a bowl of cereal but another excellent one to have in the repertoire is scrambled eggs. This recipe sets out exactly how to achieve best results and is the perfect building block for more complicated egg dishes, which older cooks can graduate on to when they've mastered the basics. See here for some more advanced options.
Baking between meals
Baking is fun and there are plenty of recipes simple enough to get young cooks involved. Our favourite is this Coconana bread as it ticks all the boxes; no refined sugars, some healthy coconut oil and, most importantly, scrumptious. Super simple and pretty much fail-safe to make, it'll take care of those mid-morning/afternoon hunger pangs between meals.
Pizza station
Who doesn't love pizza? These days, there are some pretty good ready-made bases available and then it's just a matter of finding your sauce, either a homemade tomato one, or save time and get a store-bought version – you can think outside the square and use a good-quality pesto or a chutney. Get the kids doing tasks like grating cheese or chopping up onions and peppers. Set out bowls of ingredients and let them build their own pizza from the base up. Of course, it doesn't have to be all ham, cheese and pineapple. The choices for toppings are endless: marinated artichokes, smoked chicken, bacon, corn, tuna spinach, blue cheese, walnuts... Take a look at Bite's dozens of pizza recipes for topping inspiration. For the truly adventurous young cooks, get them involved in making the base.
Snack attack
Whether as part of a main meal or a movie snack platter, chicken bites are a kids' favourite. But don't go through drivethru, get them into the kitchen making their own. They taste better and they'll have fun getting their fingers dirty. These Panko-crumbed chicken tenders with honey mustard always get two sticky thumbs up.
Panko-crumbed chicken tenders with honey mustard
Pud it there
Holidays mean staying up later, which means more time for dessert. This humble crumble might be simple but it's perfect sweet comfort and the young'uns will be proud as punch to say they made it happen. Paired with some ice cream and sweet silence will ensue.
More ideas for kids cooking and holiday activities
School holiday cooking feature
Kids in the kitchen recipe collection