Quick ideas for a meal my 2 yo and 10yo can help me prep tonight?

[DeChRi]

I'd like to get my kids involved in dinner tonight (at my oldests request). But what can I make that an almost 2yo wont destroy? My 10yo is pretty helpful. Ideas? (we are meat eaters if that makes a difference).

[JamesMama]

Quesidillas? The 2 y/o can lay out the torts and maybe sprinkle some cheese, the 10y/o can use a dull-ish knife to dice cooked chicken and add that.

Spaghetti and garlic bread? The 2 y/o can put the bread on a cookie sheet the 10 y/o can form meatballs.

Omlets the 2 y/o can add the cheese and meat, the 10 y/o can cut it all up.

[BetsyS]

I was going to say spaghetti. A two year old can tear lettuce for a salad, can cut a cucumber with a butter knife, and can distribute the salad to everyone's bowls.

[crl]

Pancakes. The little one can help pour ingredients in and stir. The big one can measure and read the recipe.

Then you could add sausage/bacon/eggs for protein if you want to. And a fresh fruit plate--the kids could wash and arrange the fruit.

Catherine

[Thalia the Muse]

Make-your-own-burritos. Little one can tear up lettuce, older can grate cheese, open beans, help you saute meat, chop tomatoes and avocado and olives. And everyone gets to assemble their own masterpieces when it's time to eat.

[Alyantavid]

Homemade pizza. My kids always help with that.

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by JamesMama

Quesidillas? The 2 y/o can lay out the torts and maybe sprinkle some cheese, the 10y/o can use a dull-ish knife to dice cooked chicken and add that.

Spaghetti and garlic bread? The 2 y/o can put the bread on a cookie sheet the 10 y/o can form meatballs.

Omlets the 2 y/o can add the cheese and meat, the 10 y/o can cut it all up.

Dull knives are DANGEROUS. These suggestions are all great but please, please do NOT use a dull knife. A dull knife is far more dangerous than a properly sharpened knife. A dull knife is more likely to catch funny and then slip. The person using a dull knife may have to apply more pressure to cut - and again cause a bad slip.

Teach proper cutting techniques to children, and supervise them as they learn. They will be much safer than if you give them poor knives.

[Thalia the Muse]

Good point. I severed a nerve in my index finger with a dull knife -- and I was an adult at the time.

[limabean]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid

Homemade pizza. My kids always help with that.

That's what I was going to suggest too. DS has been helping me do pizza since he was 2, and it's great because there's no wrong way to do it!

Originally Posted by ollyoxenfree

Dull knives are DANGEROUS. These suggestions are all great but please, please do NOT use a dull knife. A dull knife is far more dangerous than a properly sharpened knife. A dull knife is more likely to catch funny and then slip. The person using a dull knife may have to apply more pressure to cut - and again cause a bad slip.

Teach proper cutting techniques to children, and supervise them as they learn. They will be much safer than if you give them poor knives.

I agree in theory -- my MIL is scared of my nicely sharpened knives, and I'm always telling her how they're actually safer than her dull knives, but I think the poster you quoted was talking about the 2yo using something like a butter knife, which can easily cut up cooked chicken or soft fruits/veggies without applying much force. I don't consider that at all dangerous in the way I consider using something like a dull chef's knife dangerous.

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by limabean

I agree in theory -- my MIL is scared of my nicely sharpened knives, and I'm always telling her how they're actually safer than her dull knives, but I think the poster you quoted was talking about the 2yo using something like a butter knife, which can easily cut up cooked chicken or soft fruits/veggies without applying much force. I don't consider that at all dangerous in the way I consider using something like a dull chef's knife dangerous.

Perhaps, except the poster referred specifically to giving the dull knife to the 10 y.o. Why not give the 10 y.o. a proper chef's knife and teach her/him how to use it?

I wouldn't use a butter knife for this job, so I wouldn't expect my 10 y.o. to use one either.

Unless the 10 y.o. had significant manual dexterity problems, s/he should be able to use a proper kitchen knife.

[Thalia the Muse]

My eight-year-old has been able to use a sharp knife for at least a year (I don't remember when she started). We taught her to curl the fingers of the hand holding food under the knuckle, and we supervise like crazy, but she's never had a problem with it.

[ssh]

I premix the herbs and spices I want on something and then put it in a shaker bottle so my almost 4 year DD can 'season' the meat, soup, guacamole or whatever. She loves stirring, sprinkling, spreading and pouring everything, also getting things out of and back into the refrigerator. The letting her 'help' is paying off. She's gotten quite helpful lately. You can add a fruit salad to any meal, your 10 year old can cut up the fruit and your 2 year old can put it together in a bowl and mix it. Burritos, tacos, lasagna, and casseroles all have tasks kids can do.

[limabean]

Originally Posted by ollyoxenfree

Perhaps, except the poster referred specifically to giving the dull knife to the 10 y.o. Why not give the 10 y.o. a proper chef's knife and teach her/him how to use it?

I wouldn't use a butter knife for this job, so I wouldn't expect my 10 y.o. to use one either.

Unless the 10 y.o. had significant manual dexterity problems, s/he should be able to use a proper kitchen knife.

Oh, I misread and thought they were referencing the 2yo. Even so, though, I wouldn't classify using a butter knife to cut up soft things as dangerous, whether it's a 2yo or a 10yo doing the chopping. You might prefer using a chef's knife (as do I), but it wouldn't hit my radar as something to discourage if I saw another parent choosing to have their 10yo use a butter knife.

In any case, OP, some other ideas for getting the kids involved could be things like enchiladas -- the 2yo could sprinkle the ingredients on the tortillas and the 10yo could roll them up. Or quesadillas. Have fun!

[DeChRi]

You guys are awesome! I am actually gonna put these on a list and pull them out for a kids cooking night each week.

[Girlprof]

You might want to check out Molly Katzen's kids cookbooks. Yes, they are vegetarian, but she has great ideas about the tasks that different ages can accomplish. She also has both written and pictorial instructions so even the pre-literate set can see how the recipe works.