BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Cooking For Kids Fun in the Kitchen with Kids

Hi everyone:

My brother who has 2 boys, ages 4 and 18months, shared with me a simple recipe he uses with his boys for pizza - so simple it is brilliant (and even works on a plethora of developmental tasks I won't bore you with on a Sunday night!). We gave it a whirl tonight and it was a big hit for all. Also, for us busy family types, it is cheap, quick and can be prepared ahead of time and even reheated.

15 minute Pizza
store bought dough: frozen or fresh
pizza sauce
pizza cheese or mozzarella

preheat oven to 450
use cookie sheet or throw-away pizza pan: sprinkle with olive oil Pam and a tad of corn meal (prevents sticking)
roll out dough
add sauce and cheese
Toss in the oven and cook about 15ish minutes

Pitfalls: the dough is a bit sticky and needs stretching before rolling to fit on an average pizza pan. Also, use the finest shredded cheese you can find - melts better.

Bon Appetite! <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" />

Hi Dr. Gwenn,
Yes! Pizza dough is great for little hands! Here's another trick:

ABC Soft Pretzels

Ingredients:
Refrigerated Pizza Dough
1 egg (beaten)
water
Coarse sea salt, cinnamon sugar, or any toppings you want

Directions:
1. Divide the dough into ten equal portions.
2. Allow the kids to roll each portion out to form one long string of dough.
3. Then shape into the letter of your choice.
4. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
5. Top with your favorite topping.
6. Bake for 15-17 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
7. Enjoy!

my kids LOVE cooking with my husband. Note I say my husband. I hate cooking enough, I hate it even more when I'm tripping over little feet <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

i have a fantastic pizza dough recipe that's whole wheat if anyone wants it, it's very child friendly.

meg

We do "Crazy Waffles" every Saturday. Basically just the waffle mix of your choice, a little vanilla, a Tbs. of sugar, and then a 1/2 cup of nuts, chocolate chips, blueberries, apples, peaches or some other fruit.

The baby (19 mos) dumps in ingredients, big brother mixes, mom cooks 'em, and dad adds finishing touches (whipped cream, syrup, whatever).

Warning: M&M's don't work well.

Those are great ideas! My husband is a pro at breakfast and bbq (the grill/gas/powertool sort of thing) but beyond that he throws in the towel. He's found making funny shapes and letters with pancake mix a hit. He's done that at sleepover parties and made pancakes with the first name of each child.

Here's another one - more of a tip than a recipe. My kids love smore and we recently discovered marshmellows melt just fine over sterno or a gas grill. Great way to capture the camping feel on your deck.