Kids aren’t big fans of housework, especially when it involves the kitchen. A lot of parents have tried to get their kids interested in cooking, only to get disappointed and end up with a wasted meal. But it doesn’t have to be that hard. Often, it’s just a matter of choosing the right approach and making your kids see that it can be fun. One way to get your kids to cook is to start with simple methods, such as slow cooking. That’s right—your crock pot can be a great first tool for your kids to get into kitchen work.
Crock pot recipes are among the easiest to make, not to mention the cheapest. Because it doesn’t involve direct heat, it’s a lot safer for kids who are first-time cooks. All you have to do is prepare your ingredients, put them in the pot, and set the temperature. At the end of the day, you just come home to a home-cooked meal that’s warm and ready to serve. It doesn’t get much simpler than that! Here are some tips to help you make crock pot cooking work for your kids.
Lend them a hand
No matter how bright or responsible they are, kids can’t be left to work alone in the kitchen. Besides the added safety, kids will feel more at ease knowing that there’s an adult taking care of things. So while you should give them free reign over the counter, make sure you’re participating as well. Help out with the cutting and slicing, compliment the things they do right, and point out those that need improvement.
You may also want to take care of the more delicate tasks like peeling and chopping. For one thing, most chicken crock pot recipes involve multiple ingredients that take more than a few minutes to prepare. It’s easier for the child if you cut up the chicken, peel the potatoes, and get the more tedious tasks over with. That way, they can go straight to the "fun" part which is mixing everything together and actually creating flavors.
Start with foods they like
For kids, enjoying what they’ve made is the most rewarding part of cooking. Needless to say, they won’t be as motivated to make spinach stew or some other dish they don’t personally like. Start them off with recipes they actually like, so they’ll have that incentive to go on with the project. Flip through a recipe book together and have them pick out dishes that they’d want to prepare. There are lots of crock pot recipe websites out there—just look for one that seems interesting enough.
Most children’s favorites are surprisingly easy to prepare. For example, a mac and cheese crock pot recipe uses very few ingredients and can be flavored a variety of ways. Since it lends itself well to individual tastes, you can let your kids make it the way they like—with bacon bits, vegetables, spices, whatever they feel like. To make it even more fun, have them add toppings before serving and make creative presentations.
Look for versatile dishes
Children are naturally curious, so they’ll enjoy being able to experiment in the kitchen. Sure, it’s safer to follow the recipe, but once they’ve gotten the hang of it, you may want to give them more control over the project. It doesn’t always have to turn out a masterpiece—it’s all part of the learning process. Help them out by choosing recipes that are easy to adjust or can be made with a variety of ingredients, such as meatballs, meatloaf and pasta.
Crock pot meatballs are one of the most versatile dishes for slow cooking. If you have leftover ground beef, just add the basic spices (like onion, garlic, salt and pepper) and have your kids add whatever they like. You can stand watch, of course, just in case they throw in too much of one thing or add something too out of place. Once it’s all done, you can have fun shaping the balls or even inventing your own shapes.
Finish off with dessert
Crock pot is also great for cooking desserts—and needless to say, kids will be more than willing to help you with it. Most crock pot desserts are fruit-based, so they’re also very healthy, not to mention filling. They’re definitely better than the usual ice cream or cake we’d serve after dinner. And as mentioned above, they’re very versatile and open to experimentation.
Start with something simple, such as crock pot custard. The slow cooking process really brings out the sweetness and texture of the custard, so there’s a lot of flavor in every bite. It also keeps all the moisture in for a moister, fuller recipe. All you need for a basic custard recipe is milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, and perhaps a pinch of salt and nutmeg. Just set it to low for about 8 hours and you’ve got the perfect dessert to finish your kids’ first meal.
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