The Best Kid-Friendly Recipes to Make with Your Littles Ones

Do you remember making cookies with your parents? Continue the tradition with this simple recipe—three steps and a bake in the oven is all it takes for this soft and chewy dessert. 

Have your little one crush cloves of garlic while you chop the onion, carrots, and celery for this simple chicken soup. A rich broth forms as the chicken cooks in a blend of herbs and aromatics, and your helper can give it a stir for good measure. 

Have kids help out with their after-school snack by letting them layer marinara sauce and mozzarella onto lightly toasted English muffins. Then bake the personal-sized pizzas until the cheese is melted. 

There's plenty for kids to help out with when it comes to making banana bread. They can whisk together the dry and wet ingredients then stir in the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla, and even pour the mixture into your prepared pan. All you need to handle is taking the hot dish out of the oven. 

Your kids are probably familiar with boxed mac and cheese, but have they made this favorite dish from scratch yet? With this recipe, they'll learn how. Among the steps they can tackle, once the pasta is cooked, have them mix in a blend of three cheeses—American, cheddar, and Parmesan—until melted and creamy. 

Kids will enjoy cracking eggs into a bowl and whisking them together with grated sharp white cheddar for this easy frittata recipe. Pour the egg-cheese mixture into a skillet with sautéed broccoli and minced garlic, then transfer to an oven and cook until fluffy and golden brown. 

This four-ingredient recipe yields crispy, golden-brown chicken without the need for deep frying. The cutlets are coated in flour then dredged in egg and toasted panko—you can let your kids do the prep (or some of it)—then the oven does the cooking. 

Children can help cut broccoli into florets, grate lemon zest, squeeze lemon juice, and grate garlic in this one-pot recipe. Once both the vegetables and the pasta are cooked, toss everything together for a tasty meal.

One of the easiest dishes for kids to perfect, grilled cheese is sure to become a staple in your household once they're shown the ropes. Here we use a combination of two cheeses—slices of American and shredded cheddar—so the sandwich is extra gooey and delicious. Hot tip: Slather the bread with a combo of butter and mayonnaise for a rich, buttery flavor and an uber-crisp exterior.

You can use a food processor to make the burger mixture for these sliders; then kids can form them into patties and adults can help with the cooking. Once cooked through, add the burgers to buns with tomato slices, lettuce, and other preferred toppings. 

Since it's made with frozen corn, canned black beans, and canned tomatoes, this simple soup comes together in a flash. Bonus: Kids will love crushing tortilla chips to add to the soup in the last few minutes of cooking.

Here's a streamlined side dish that calls for only five ingredients. Start by having your kids trim the stems off of carrots and then add the vegetable to a pot of boiling water. Once tender, finish the carrots off in a pan with melted butter, ginger, and honey. 

Get your weekend started off on the right foot by making breakfast with your favorite little chef. There's plenty of opportunities for them to help out with this basic pancakes recipe—have them whisk together the dry and wet ingredients, pour spoonfuls of batter onto your skillet, and flip the pancakes with your assistance.