Your Best Advice for Cooking with Kids

There are so many great conversations on the Hotline—it's hard to choose a favorite. But we'll be doing it, once a week, to spread the wealth of our community's knowledge—and to keep the conversation going.

Today: Kid-friendly recipes—that kids can help make. 

Kids can be tricky to cook for: Broccoli is too green, eggs are too rubbery, and fish tastes too fishy. Unless you lucked out with an un-picky eater, and it's all rainbows and brussels sprouts, it's easy to get stuck in a rut of spaghetti with butter. And if you're new to the game, cooking for kids is even more intimidating.

Over on the Hotline, Franziska wants to know your suggestions for cooking with a 5-year-old—her best friend's daughter who she'll be spending part of the summer with. "As the 'honorable auntie' I would love to get her into my favorite past time, cooking and baking," she says. From pasta making to pizza topping, here are your best tips for kid-friendly cooking. 

• C Sangueza says to make pasta. After kneading, let kids help roll the dough out—with either a rolling pin or pasta maker.
• Nancy suggests teaching kids non-knife prep skills, like shelling peas, washing lettuce, and garnishing soup. 
• lastnightsdinner's son loves to help make Merrill's cream biscuits. 

More: Check out Amanda's Kids' Lunch for some inspirational midday meals.

• Dinner at ten thinks "mashed things would be a hit," like guacamole.
• Make pizza dough, says keg72, and then let kids top their own personal pies with sauce, cheese, and whatever else they like.
• "My 5-year-old son loves to make Merrill's banana bread," says jlhogan. "It's a great recipe to make with kids because it only needs one bowl and no special equipment, and it's very forgiving."

• Kids like putting jam in the center of thumbprint cookies, says ChefJune. She also suggests brownies.
• Kristen W.'s 6-year-old "LOVES decorating cookies," especially when there's colored icing and sprinkles involved. 
• Greenstuff has an unexpected recommendation: DIY fortune cookies. She says it was one of the most fun cooking projects she's done with a young child.

What are your favorite kid-friendly recipes and/or cooking projects? Tell us in the comments below! 

Photos by James Ransom and Mark Weinberg 

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