Meals that an eleven-year-old can make and will eat
February 22, 2023 3:39 AM Subscribe
We are looking for recipes that are easy enough for an eleven-year-old to follow (with adult supervision) that result in meals that said eleven-year-old might then enthusiastically eat.
We have started to have the young person in question prepare dinner approximately once a week, trying a different recipe every time (and thus building up a repertoire of familiar processes and recipes). The preparation element has been quite successful so far, but we are running out of options that everyone will eat once the cooking is done.
So: please share any recipes or ideas for meals that a somewhat-picky young person might enjoy eating that are reasonably straightforward to prepare within an hour or so. Unusual equipment or ingredients need not be a deal-breaker, so long as the end result is likely to have a sufficiently broad appeal.
We have started to have the young person in question prepare dinner approximately once a week, trying a different recipe every time (and thus building up a repertoire of familiar processes and recipes). The preparation element has been quite successful so far, but we are running out of options that everyone will eat once the cooking is done.
So: please share any recipes or ideas for meals that a somewhat-picky young person might enjoy eating that are reasonably straightforward to prepare within an hour or so. Unusual equipment or ingredients need not be a deal-breaker, so long as the end result is likely to have a sufficiently broad appeal.
Best answer: Tacos are super flexible and you can make them at many different levels of complexity.
For the tortillas, you can get one of those brilliant microwave heating pockets and that way the kid doesn’t need to deal with trying to flip them on the stove or worry about burning them in an oven. If they really get into cooking eventually they can make tortillas from scratch out of masa, which might be a fun weekend project for the family.
For the vegetable garnishes, they can use jarred salsa, cilantro leaves picked off the stem, and pickled jalapeños from a jar, and store bought guacamole if you want to minimize knife usage. Veggies that are easier to cut include cabbage, and bell peppers, and larger cherry tomatoes are pretty easy to cut if you have a serrated blade. Avocado can be hard but if you halve it and remove the pit, scooping with a spoon and smashing with a fork is fun and easy. Limes are pretty easy to cut too and you can get a juicer to help with squeezing if they don’t have the grip strength yet, or they can learn to cut them into wedges and let folks squeeze at the table. A combination of some of any of these will make interesting and beautiful tacos, and you can add different greens, chopped onions (I think chopping onions small enough to be good raw on a taco is probably hard for a kid that little), pickled veg, and hot sauces to the mix as well.
Dairy is pretty easy, shredded cheese or they can shred from a block themselves, or just using the squeeze tube style of sour cream. If you have access to it, queso blanco is a nice mild cheese that might be tasty for a picky eater, and a doorway into a world of cheese tasting.
The fillings can run the gamut. My favorite veggie taco filling is cubed roasted sweet potatoes, tossed with my taco spice blend, then mixed with black beans I’ve doctored up with some stock and sautéed onions. You could buy a premixed taco spice blend (always recommend Penzey’s) or make your own ahead of time so the kid doesn’t need to fuss with measuring a bunch or trusting them with the paprika and you needing to buy all new paprika in a week, etc. Ground turkey is good if you want a meat filling for tacos, very forgiving and tastes like whatever spice blend you end up using. Learning to brown meat, add dry flavors into the fat, add some liquid, and cook it all down is a great technique to have on lock because it has all the building blocks of good cooking. You could also do this with shrimp, which make great tacos.
Anyway, the kid can make all the garnishes and warm the tortillas and make the fillings, and put them all on the table in different bowls and plates. Then everyone assembles their own tacos at the table. This way, the family can customize what they like and the kid can learn to make things that aren’t to their taste but will be enjoyed by the rest of the family.
posted by Mizu at 4:06 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
For the tortillas, you can get one of those brilliant microwave heating pockets and that way the kid doesn’t need to deal with trying to flip them on the stove or worry about burning them in an oven. If they really get into cooking eventually they can make tortillas from scratch out of masa, which might be a fun weekend project for the family.
For the vegetable garnishes, they can use jarred salsa, cilantro leaves picked off the stem, and pickled jalapeños from a jar, and store bought guacamole if you want to minimize knife usage. Veggies that are easier to cut include cabbage, and bell peppers, and larger cherry tomatoes are pretty easy to cut if you have a serrated blade. Avocado can be hard but if you halve it and remove the pit, scooping with a spoon and smashing with a fork is fun and easy. Limes are pretty easy to cut too and you can get a juicer to help with squeezing if they don’t have the grip strength yet, or they can learn to cut them into wedges and let folks squeeze at the table. A combination of some of any of these will make interesting and beautiful tacos, and you can add different greens, chopped onions (I think chopping onions small enough to be good raw on a taco is probably hard for a kid that little), pickled veg, and hot sauces to the mix as well.
Dairy is pretty easy, shredded cheese or they can shred from a block themselves, or just using the squeeze tube style of sour cream. If you have access to it, queso blanco is a nice mild cheese that might be tasty for a picky eater, and a doorway into a world of cheese tasting.
The fillings can run the gamut. My favorite veggie taco filling is cubed roasted sweet potatoes, tossed with my taco spice blend, then mixed with black beans I’ve doctored up with some stock and sautéed onions. You could buy a premixed taco spice blend (always recommend Penzey’s) or make your own ahead of time so the kid doesn’t need to fuss with measuring a bunch or trusting them with the paprika and you needing to buy all new paprika in a week, etc. Ground turkey is good if you want a meat filling for tacos, very forgiving and tastes like whatever spice blend you end up using. Learning to brown meat, add dry flavors into the fat, add some liquid, and cook it all down is a great technique to have on lock because it has all the building blocks of good cooking. You could also do this with shrimp, which make great tacos.
Anyway, the kid can make all the garnishes and warm the tortillas and make the fillings, and put them all on the table in different bowls and plates. Then everyone assembles their own tacos at the table. This way, the family can customize what they like and the kid can learn to make things that aren’t to their taste but will be enjoyed by the rest of the family.
posted by Mizu at 4:06 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Budget Bytes is a great resource for easy, tasty recipes. You might check out their Easy Recipes for Beginners page, which includes things like French Bread Pizza, Tomato Herb Soup (with side of grilled cheese sandwiches), and plenty of other easy-to-cook meals.
posted by ourobouros at 4:17 AM on February 22, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by ourobouros at 4:17 AM on February 22, 2023 [8 favorites]
What sorts of things do they enthusiastically eat in general?
posted by trig at 4:32 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by trig at 4:32 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you for the very helpful responses so far. The taco suggestions are great, and I’ve started to look at the linked sites.
To try to answer the questions from EmpressCallipygos and trig, carbs and cheese are favourites, while visible chunky vegetables are frequently a no-go. Hidden and/or puréed vegetables are fine! Fish is also a pretty solid no.
posted by sueinnyc at 4:45 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
To try to answer the questions from EmpressCallipygos and trig, carbs and cheese are favourites, while visible chunky vegetables are frequently a no-go. Hidden and/or puréed vegetables are fine! Fish is also a pretty solid no.
posted by sueinnyc at 4:45 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: At that age, my boys were making pasta dishes, hamburgers, sandwich rollups, rice bowls, and homemade chicken tenders with some supervision. We also made homemade pizza on the regular. We bought the dough already made. Everyone can add their preferred toppings. Along the lines of the tacos, you could do baked potatoes with toppings.
Korean bbq or shabu shabu could be fun because you get to cook at the table (we use an electric grill and single induction plate for these).
posted by jraz at 5:18 AM on February 22, 2023
Korean bbq or shabu shabu could be fun because you get to cook at the table (we use an electric grill and single induction plate for these).
posted by jraz at 5:18 AM on February 22, 2023
Best answer: 12 year old in our house is moderately competent at:
-grilled cheese and heated-up canned soup
-beans and rice (with a rice cooker)
-Mac and cheese or other pasta with jarred sauce
-ramen (from a packet) with hard boiled or poached eggs
-baked potatoes and toppings
-roasted veggies and tofu
-Pancakes, scrambled eggs, waffles, crepes, French toast (in progress)
-Mashed potatoes and quiche (in progress, it’s his favorite meal)
-Cornbread (from scratch) with beans
-snacky dinner of sliced up fruit and veg, cheese, bread, olives, dips, etc.
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:21 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
-grilled cheese and heated-up canned soup
-beans and rice (with a rice cooker)
-Mac and cheese or other pasta with jarred sauce
-ramen (from a packet) with hard boiled or poached eggs
-baked potatoes and toppings
-roasted veggies and tofu
-Pancakes, scrambled eggs, waffles, crepes, French toast (in progress)
-Mashed potatoes and quiche (in progress, it’s his favorite meal)
-Cornbread (from scratch) with beans
-snacky dinner of sliced up fruit and veg, cheese, bread, olives, dips, etc.
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:21 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Meant to add: in terms of processes, boiling and baking have been a lot more successful workflows than pan-frying, which requires more judgement calls and constant proximity to heat.
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:25 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:25 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Consider a cookbook aimed at kids, like the America's Test Kitchen cookbook for young chefs.
posted by Jeanne at 5:31 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Jeanne at 5:31 AM on February 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I've never had a bad recipe from America's Test Kitchen. (Some have been average, many are good, but all turn out as described as long as the recipe is followed.) They've got a collection intended for young new cooks, ATK kids, and books if you and he would prefer them. I guess the ones sorted out as popular are on the NY Times best seller list. Your library probably has some of ATK kids cook books.
posted by dlwr300 at 5:32 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by dlwr300 at 5:32 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: In some ways, cooking in the oven is easier than cooking on the stove top. Foe example, roasting skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces is mostly a matter of knowing when to take them out of the oven. All sorts of veggies do well in the oven. I think you might want to get an oven tool - a flat stick with a notch - to make it easier to slide the racks without getting so close.
In my generation, spaghetti and meatballs was every kid's favorite.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:40 AM on February 22, 2023
In my generation, spaghetti and meatballs was every kid's favorite.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:40 AM on February 22, 2023
Best answer: Seconding pizza! Individual sized crusts are fun, and then each person tops to their own taste.
With the caveat that my kids are a bit younger than yours is, we've had a lot of fun as a family with the 'Cook in a Book' series.
Here's a link to the pizza one. (They also have ones for tacos, cookies, and pancakes.)
The dough recipe in the book is a little time-intensive (rising, rolling), but not difficult. And we'll often make a double batch of dough, pre-bake all the crusts, and freeze half of them. Then the next pizza day, our crusts are already set and just need to be thawed.
Speaking of pancakes, breakfast for dinner could be a fun one as well, and lots of breakfast foods are customizable for an individual eater by varying what you add to them or top them with. Muffins are great, or scrambled egg muffin bakes.
posted by jolenex4 at 6:14 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
With the caveat that my kids are a bit younger than yours is, we've had a lot of fun as a family with the 'Cook in a Book' series.
Here's a link to the pizza one. (They also have ones for tacos, cookies, and pancakes.)
The dough recipe in the book is a little time-intensive (rising, rolling), but not difficult. And we'll often make a double batch of dough, pre-bake all the crusts, and freeze half of them. Then the next pizza day, our crusts are already set and just need to be thawed.
Speaking of pancakes, breakfast for dinner could be a fun one as well, and lots of breakfast foods are customizable for an individual eater by varying what you add to them or top them with. Muffins are great, or scrambled egg muffin bakes.
posted by jolenex4 at 6:14 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: This three ingredient mac and cheese isn't much harder than boxed but is way better. I taught my child the recipe at about that age. The one complication is figuring out how much water to use ("add just enough cold water to cover,") but you (and your child) should be able to figure it out after a few times.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:49 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:49 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Scrambled eggs to start (breakfast for dinner! so, maybe some pancakes as well - or waffles, with some sausage/ham/bacon), then eventually maybe a "frittata" in the oven (veggies like mushrooms/onions/broccoli could be pureed and added to the egg mixture).
posted by rozcakj at 7:09 AM on February 22, 2023
posted by rozcakj at 7:09 AM on February 22, 2023
I can confirm that my then-11-year-old started making family dinner once a week out of the ATK Meals for Young Chefs book that Jeanne linked above. It was a hit.
posted by dr. boludo at 7:11 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by dr. boludo at 7:11 AM on February 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I’m an uncle to two fairly picky niblings. I love to cook and have tried to share the love with them despite some barriers. We were just remembering a time a few years ago where we made dumplings together. In the moment I thought it was something of a fail as the now-eight year old was utterly disinterested in eating the final product (she was fine with the wrappers but the filling was a no go). She was waxing poetic last week about how fun and memorable it had been and we may yet give it another go soon and see if time has changed her tastes any.
My 10 year old niece regularly makes herself and the family pancakes. She started during lockdown/remote learning and is now pretty much independently proficient.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 7:38 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
My 10 year old niece regularly makes herself and the family pancakes. She started during lockdown/remote learning and is now pretty much independently proficient.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 7:38 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If it's feasible for your family, I cannot recommend Bake Austin's online kids cooking classes highly enough. My kids have really enjoyed the classes, learned to like new foods, and built a lot of confidence in the kitchen. And, it's like vacation for the grownups... the kids are busy AND you get both a great dinner and a clean kitchen at the end.
posted by hessie at 7:50 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by hessie at 7:50 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: When we are all just tired and need to eat something filling my 11 year old makes oatmeal using quick oats and water boiled from a kettle, we add cinnamon, maple syrup, and milk. That's also his safe food so if he doesn't want to eat what we're having he will make himself a bowl.
Another easy to make thing is a smoothie - goes great with pancakes, waffles, french toast.
And finally, NACHOS! They can shred the cheese, maybe use a little chopper to dice some onion, tomato and pepper (depending on their knife skills and how much they enjoy chopping things), set the salsa and so on out.
posted by lafemma at 7:51 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Another easy to make thing is a smoothie - goes great with pancakes, waffles, french toast.
And finally, NACHOS! They can shred the cheese, maybe use a little chopper to dice some onion, tomato and pepper (depending on their knife skills and how much they enjoy chopping things), set the salsa and so on out.
posted by lafemma at 7:51 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Casseroles and crock pot meals were some of the first dinners I made independently. For example:
-No-boil lasagna (mix ricotta with spices, make pasta sauce or use jarred, and then layer the ingredients and put it in the oven. ). Modern version may be "tick-tock pasta" my niece loves which is feta, noodles, and tomatoes baked together and is better than it should be.
-Carnitas: Poke pork with a knife a few times, wash hands, squeeze limes and dump other jarred sauce components in, turn on crock pot. At dinner time, shred the pork with a fork, shred cheese with a grater, put jarred salsa on the table.
posted by Narrow Harbor at 8:19 AM on February 22, 2023
-No-boil lasagna (mix ricotta with spices, make pasta sauce or use jarred, and then layer the ingredients and put it in the oven. ). Modern version may be "tick-tock pasta" my niece loves which is feta, noodles, and tomatoes baked together and is better than it should be.
-Carnitas: Poke pork with a knife a few times, wash hands, squeeze limes and dump other jarred sauce components in, turn on crock pot. At dinner time, shred the pork with a fork, shred cheese with a grater, put jarred salsa on the table.
posted by Narrow Harbor at 8:19 AM on February 22, 2023
Best answer: Air fryer and some sort of a sauce he can pre-make, then it's pretty much mixing together whatever vegetables he'll eat, whatever starch he'll eat, and whatever protein he'll eat, and mix in different ways with the sauce.
posted by kschang at 8:27 AM on February 22, 2023
posted by kschang at 8:27 AM on February 22, 2023
Best answer: I belong to HelloFresh, and while it can be pricey it's a very straightforward way of trying out new dishes -- you pick the meals, and they send you the ingredients and the recipes, with pretty clear instructions. You and the kid can go through the meal choices on the website and figure out what might be doable. I like it because I get "option fatigue" easily and it just puts a few items in front of me rather than everything, and I imagine a modern kid with a million things competing for attention will appreciate that too.
posted by mirepoix at 8:57 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mirepoix at 8:57 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Basic 1:1:1 mac & cheese is super easy and also quite good!
16oz elbow macaroni
16oz (well, okay, 15oz can) evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
16oz shredded cheese (I like half cheddar, half Monterey Jack or Mozzarella)
Dump uncooked macaroni into medium saucepan, shake to level. Add just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Cook, stirring frequently, until water is mostly absorbed and pasta is just shy of al dente, about 5-6 mins. Add evaporated milk, and bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Add cheese, reduce heat to low and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until cheese melts completely and sauce becomes creamy.
I think the cheese adds plenty of salt, but a little fresh ground pepper and salt (if needed) really help, and a palmful of bacon bits (the "real bacon" kind, not the crunchy fake ones) really jazz up the dish. It's pretty rich; makes enough for four servings. Add a salad, maybe some toast, and you're done.
Recently, I have been making pizzas from scratch, starting with King Arthur's pizza crust, and making my own sauce as well. The crust recipe makes enough for two ~11" pizzas (typical frozen pizza size). This has become our weekly date night ritual; I'll usually make one red sauce pizza, with sausage, pepperoni, maybe some serrano peppers, and then I'll try some new things with the other pizza. Pesto chicken has become a favorite (basil pesto for the sauce, grilled chicken, mozza & parm), as well as chicken Caesar pizza (couple Tbsp of Caesar dressing + crushed garlic + lemon juice for the sauce; grilled chicken, sundried tomatoes, bacon bits, mozz & parm). I made a BBQ pork pizza with leftover pulled pork (bbq sauce, pork, pineapple, mozzarella). Lots of things to try. A pizza stone in a hot oven is a must (my oven maxes out at 550F and this makes delicious 8-minute pizzas), as well as a pizza peel for loading and unloading pizzas from the oven. I enjoy making the dough and the sauces, and I like being able to try lots of different things. Plus, it makes amazing pizza, and what kid doesn't like pizza? :) While that all may sound like a bit much, really none of it is difficult. The crust, I start a couple days ahead (mix, knead, rise, punch down, refrigerate for 2 days; take out of the fridge to warm up at lunch, ~4-5 hours before dinner). The basic sauce is a 28oz can of whole tomatoes, liquid reserved; dump in the blender, add a splash of olive oil, a Tbsp minced garlic, couple grinds of black pepper and salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Pulse a couple times, adding back reserved tomato liquid a bit at a time, until you get a nice thick sauce. Not runny like marinara. Makes enough for about 8-10 pizzas, depending on how saucy you like it.
posted by xedrik at 9:01 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
16oz elbow macaroni
16oz (well, okay, 15oz can) evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
16oz shredded cheese (I like half cheddar, half Monterey Jack or Mozzarella)
Dump uncooked macaroni into medium saucepan, shake to level. Add just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Cook, stirring frequently, until water is mostly absorbed and pasta is just shy of al dente, about 5-6 mins. Add evaporated milk, and bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Add cheese, reduce heat to low and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until cheese melts completely and sauce becomes creamy.
I think the cheese adds plenty of salt, but a little fresh ground pepper and salt (if needed) really help, and a palmful of bacon bits (the "real bacon" kind, not the crunchy fake ones) really jazz up the dish. It's pretty rich; makes enough for four servings. Add a salad, maybe some toast, and you're done.
Recently, I have been making pizzas from scratch, starting with King Arthur's pizza crust, and making my own sauce as well. The crust recipe makes enough for two ~11" pizzas (typical frozen pizza size). This has become our weekly date night ritual; I'll usually make one red sauce pizza, with sausage, pepperoni, maybe some serrano peppers, and then I'll try some new things with the other pizza. Pesto chicken has become a favorite (basil pesto for the sauce, grilled chicken, mozza & parm), as well as chicken Caesar pizza (couple Tbsp of Caesar dressing + crushed garlic + lemon juice for the sauce; grilled chicken, sundried tomatoes, bacon bits, mozz & parm). I made a BBQ pork pizza with leftover pulled pork (bbq sauce, pork, pineapple, mozzarella). Lots of things to try. A pizza stone in a hot oven is a must (my oven maxes out at 550F and this makes delicious 8-minute pizzas), as well as a pizza peel for loading and unloading pizzas from the oven. I enjoy making the dough and the sauces, and I like being able to try lots of different things. Plus, it makes amazing pizza, and what kid doesn't like pizza? :) While that all may sound like a bit much, really none of it is difficult. The crust, I start a couple days ahead (mix, knead, rise, punch down, refrigerate for 2 days; take out of the fridge to warm up at lunch, ~4-5 hours before dinner). The basic sauce is a 28oz can of whole tomatoes, liquid reserved; dump in the blender, add a splash of olive oil, a Tbsp minced garlic, couple grinds of black pepper and salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Pulse a couple times, adding back reserved tomato liquid a bit at a time, until you get a nice thick sauce. Not runny like marinara. Makes enough for about 8-10 pizzas, depending on how saucy you like it.
posted by xedrik at 9:01 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Pita pizzas are pretty easy and infinitely adaptable. The below serves 3 - 4.
Get a can or jar of thick tomato sauce, or, particularly if you skip the onion, get prepared pizza sauce - Rao's is a really good one. Grate 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese. Grate 1/2 lb. Monterey Jack cheese. Grate some real Parmesan cheese to make 1/2 cup. (This cheese grating can be done the day ahead). Very finely dice some red onion (optional). One other easy topping is to cook some bacon slices, and then cut the cooked slices cross wise into thin strips.
Preheat oven to 500 F. Take eight 8-inch pita breads and brush outer ridge/edge of each pita with a little olive oil. Spread each pita with some tomato sauce or pizza sauce, sprinkle with a bit of diced onion to taste, and sprinkle with 1/8th of the mozzarella, and 1/8th of the Monterey Jack, and add some bacon strips to taste, and then top it all with 1 Tbl. of the Parmesan.
Put 4 pitas on a baking sheet and bake on bottom rack of oven for 10 minutes, then move to top rack and bake for 3 - 4 more minutes, or until cheese starts to brown (watch carefully). Take out of oven and let stand on baking sheet for 2 - 3 minutes and then serve. Repeat with remaining pitas and toppings to make a second helping of pizza.
Optional - you can put a few thin slices of cherry tomato on each pizza, on top of the tomato sauce and under the cheese, kind of pushing it down into the tomato sauce. Don't add too much or your pizzas will get too watery. If you use tomato sauce instead of pizza sauce, you can optionally add a small sprinkling of dried herbs like oregano on top of the tomato sauce, or one of the herb mixes called pizza seasoning. Go very easy on this.
posted by gudrun at 9:13 AM on February 22, 2023
Get a can or jar of thick tomato sauce, or, particularly if you skip the onion, get prepared pizza sauce - Rao's is a really good one. Grate 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese. Grate 1/2 lb. Monterey Jack cheese. Grate some real Parmesan cheese to make 1/2 cup. (This cheese grating can be done the day ahead). Very finely dice some red onion (optional). One other easy topping is to cook some bacon slices, and then cut the cooked slices cross wise into thin strips.
Preheat oven to 500 F. Take eight 8-inch pita breads and brush outer ridge/edge of each pita with a little olive oil. Spread each pita with some tomato sauce or pizza sauce, sprinkle with a bit of diced onion to taste, and sprinkle with 1/8th of the mozzarella, and 1/8th of the Monterey Jack, and add some bacon strips to taste, and then top it all with 1 Tbl. of the Parmesan.
Put 4 pitas on a baking sheet and bake on bottom rack of oven for 10 minutes, then move to top rack and bake for 3 - 4 more minutes, or until cheese starts to brown (watch carefully). Take out of oven and let stand on baking sheet for 2 - 3 minutes and then serve. Repeat with remaining pitas and toppings to make a second helping of pizza.
Optional - you can put a few thin slices of cherry tomato on each pizza, on top of the tomato sauce and under the cheese, kind of pushing it down into the tomato sauce. Don't add too much or your pizzas will get too watery. If you use tomato sauce instead of pizza sauce, you can optionally add a small sprinkling of dried herbs like oregano on top of the tomato sauce, or one of the herb mixes called pizza seasoning. Go very easy on this.
posted by gudrun at 9:13 AM on February 22, 2023
Best answer: Mac and cheese, with broccoli florets steamed in the microwave, and sauteed sausage cut into chunks mixed in. Using a dollop of cream cheese while mixing the mac and cheese sauce packet extends the sauce and ensures that the broccoli is sufficiently cheesy to appeal to a picky-kiddo palate.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:15 AM on February 22, 2023
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:15 AM on February 22, 2023
Best answer: When I was ten, I was making hamburger helper, midwestern hamburger stroganoff (think cream of mushroom soup), pizza (with readymade dough), chicken picatta was a showpiece dish that I got help with the first time or two. Vegetables were microwaved frozen ones, as was usual for my family. I also made boxed mac and cheese and chicken nuggets, but not for family dinner.
posted by momus_window at 11:19 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by momus_window at 11:19 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The meal I learned to cook at that age when I started cooking dinner for myself and my younger sister one night a week was spaghetti carbonara.
Cook some bacon (skillet or microwave) and crumble it up.
Boil water and cook spaghetti noodles (or fettucini, or linguini, or whatever pasta you like).
While the spaghetti cooks, grate about 2 cups of parmesan.
When the spaghetti is done, drain, put it back in the pot, and add some butter and a splash of cream. Crack and egg or two into the pasta and stir it around so that the egg cooks from the heat of the pasta but doesn't scramble.
Stir in the cheese, add the bacon, some black pepper, and chopped fresh parsley.
Over 40 years later, it's still my go-to "crap, what can we make for supper" backup. It's extremely flexible and forgiving. Back in the 70s when I learned to make it, we used Kraft grated parm in a can and dried parsley flakes because that's what was available. These days I usually sub a cup of frozen tiny peas for the parsley because we don't typically have fresh parsley when we need an emergency backup meal.
And you can always consult the Latch Key Kid Recipe Book.
posted by fogovonslack at 11:54 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Cook some bacon (skillet or microwave) and crumble it up.
Boil water and cook spaghetti noodles (or fettucini, or linguini, or whatever pasta you like).
While the spaghetti cooks, grate about 2 cups of parmesan.
When the spaghetti is done, drain, put it back in the pot, and add some butter and a splash of cream. Crack and egg or two into the pasta and stir it around so that the egg cooks from the heat of the pasta but doesn't scramble.
Stir in the cheese, add the bacon, some black pepper, and chopped fresh parsley.
Over 40 years later, it's still my go-to "crap, what can we make for supper" backup. It's extremely flexible and forgiving. Back in the 70s when I learned to make it, we used Kraft grated parm in a can and dried parsley flakes because that's what was available. These days I usually sub a cup of frozen tiny peas for the parsley because we don't typically have fresh parsley when we need an emergency backup meal.
And you can always consult the Latch Key Kid Recipe Book.
posted by fogovonslack at 11:54 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: How about the idea of making multiple meals from a rotisserie chicken? This would require more than one night of cooking in a week however. First night can be just the chicken with some sides (roasted potato and sweet potato?). Then chicken tortilla soup and then chicken pot pie (using storebought pie crust). Pot pie is especially fun and can lead to other savory baking ideas like quiche. Pro tip - pull apart the chicken after the first dinner so it's easier to cook the next meals, it's annoying to deal with deboning (? is that the right term?) fridge-cold rotisserie chicken.
Similarly, recipes that use leftovers, like fried rice, are incredibly useful to know. I usually use kitchen scissors to snip up the meal and veggies (leftover curries, fried chicken, sausage from sunday breakfast, odds and ends of veggies in the fridge).
Oh! And pantry meals!
posted by spamandkimchi at 11:54 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Similarly, recipes that use leftovers, like fried rice, are incredibly useful to know. I usually use kitchen scissors to snip up the meal and veggies (leftover curries, fried chicken, sausage from sunday breakfast, odds and ends of veggies in the fridge).
Oh! And pantry meals!
posted by spamandkimchi at 11:54 AM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: this taquitos recipe is super easy and delicious. Can of beans, can of chile, cheese and tortillias is all you need
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:58 PM on February 22, 2023
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:58 PM on February 22, 2023
Best answer: My 12-year-old is crazy for Sam Sifton's No-Recipe Recipes, all of which she can make with no help from me. Extremely unfussy, very delicious, and I feel like she's learning principles of cooking from it. We have the physical book, but as you can see on the link, a lot of these non-recipe recipes are online too.
posted by escabeche at 5:26 PM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by escabeche at 5:26 PM on February 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you for all of the wonderful suggestions. We made nachos on Friday night, and will be introducing a number of other options in the coming weeks.
posted by sueinnyc at 4:40 PM on February 26, 2023
posted by sueinnyc at 4:40 PM on February 26, 2023
Best answer: Don't forget to remake meals you all like. We all get best at cooking by making things again and again and that's hard to do when you have a new recipe every time. Let your kid take over on favorite recipes and be the one in charge of the kitchen.
I'd also suggest quesadillas. They can have beans or some meat fillings or just grated cheese, but are a nice dinner. And good for learning to fry something not too hot and learning to flip something, but on easier mode than pancakes.
posted by blueberry monster at 2:04 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'd also suggest quesadillas. They can have beans or some meat fillings or just grated cheese, but are a nice dinner. And good for learning to fry something not too hot and learning to flip something, but on easier mode than pancakes.
posted by blueberry monster at 2:04 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:47 AM on February 22, 2023 [4 favorites]