cooking for children?

Depending on the age of the kids will tell how much they can help. I have my 3 1/2 and 2 year old helping and they try more when then help make it. BUT when they help I double (or triple) the prep time, that means I start much earlier.

Hot dog octopus (cut a hot dog about 1/2 way up into 8 'legs')

Meatball subs

Hot Stuffed Sandwiches (take 2 crescent rolls (rectangle) and put in ham and cheese, pizza fixings, steak and peppers, etc. and cook)

Face crackers (more of a snack) - Easy Cheese in a face

Soup or stew (started in the AM)

Sliced smoked ring sausage w/veggies and pasta

Easy chicken pot pie (2 ready bake pie crusts, 2 cans cream mush soup, about 1 lb. cooked diced chicken, 1 lb mixed veggies, heat all in pan, put into deep dish pie pan and cook)

Indiv. chicken pot pie (replace 2 ready bake pie crusts with jumbo biscuits and put into individual baking cups and top with biscuit).

Shape sandwiches - any sandwich cut into shapes - get mini cookie cutters

Hot Breakfast (we can eat it anytime!) - eggs, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, etc.

Pizza

Calzone

Pastie

Ravioli

Spaghetti

Burgers

Chicken Sandwich

Fish Sandwich

Tacos

Nachos

Sloppy Joe

Good Luck!

my children are 8 and 11. My oldest can cook spagettii, tacos, eggs ,toast oatmeal, cookies , cakes, with help he know how to BBQ steak or burgers. He also makes grilled cheese sandwiches and if he has instruction just about any thing he set his mind to. My eight year old is more of a prep chef and likes to chop and season the food before it is cooked. He knows how to cook most microwavable food but doesn't use the stove because he is too short and I feel standing on a chair over a hot stove is unsafe. Both children started using the microwave at about 2 yrs to nuke a hotdog (independant little boys wanted no help from me)

go to www.lakesidecollections.com Their 2006 holiday catalog has Rachael Ray's Top 30 - 30 minute meals Kid food for only $5.95. My sister got me one for Christmas. Also, depending on how old your kids are, get some of the Hormel canned chicken, put a little celery and onion in a food processor and make some chicken salad and put it on a croissant instead of bread. My 2 1/2 year-old loves this.

www.companyscoming.com Kids Cook After-School Snacks, Kids Cook Bag Lunches. and more.

http://dmoz.org/Home/Cooking/For_Children/

www.childrensrecipes.com

http://www.annabelkarmel.com/

www.iaswww.com/ODP/Home/Cooking/For_Children

wicworks.ca.gov/education/nutrition/kidsRecipes/cooking

www.amazingmoms.com/htm/kidscooking

homecooking.about.com/od/holidayandpartyrecipes/a/mothersdaykids.htm

How old are the children and for what meals?

Mac and Cheese, add brocolli and pieces of Ham.

I pound chicken breast and bread with italian bread crumbs, 20 minutes at 425 and he loves it.

Fish Stick too.

Our son is pretty much eating what we eat... but if they're picky it's easier if we know around the age.

My top tip is omelets and fritatas. My daughter loves them. They're quick and easy to make, full of protein and you can put in whatever you have, frozen veggies, cheese, mushrooms, ham, peppers, cooked potato.

Good luck.

My 4 year old is on a burrito kick right now. Every day, every meal...that's what she asks for. I just get some refried beans, a sprinkle of cheese on a flour tortilla, and wala...a easy, yummy meal! (Oh, for those of you who are wondering if I actually feed her that for every meal...no)

steamed dim sims

tin spaggetti

rolls

salad wraps

dip, chees and biscuits

pancakes

soup and toast

muffin pizza