Before You Get Started Start simple. Make recipes with a few steps until you learn what your child can do. Know your kid. Adjust the tasks you assign based on your child's skills. Only you will know when your child is ready to use adult knives, the oven, and stove. Supervise. Make sure kids know the rules for safety from the start. Only allow children to cook with an adult around. Be patient. Avoid taking over tasks. Give children time to learn and make mistakes. Let them master simple tasks before moving on to complex ones. Have fun! Things are sure to get messy, but that's OK. Enjoy this time together as a family.

Kids 2 years old and younger can:

Kids 3 - 5 years old can: Wash fresh fruits and vegetables Tear, snap, or break foods Pluck fruits and leaves from stems Help stir ingredients in a bowl like in this Sweet and Salty Trail Mix Arrange foods on a plate Peel oranges and bananas for Banana Bread or Chocolate Dipped Bananas Squeeze juice from citrus fruits to make Fruit Dip Use a cookie cutter Help set the table for dinner Scrape and rinse plates

Kids 6 - 8 years old can: Read a recipe Measure ingredients Crack and beat eggs Peel fruits and veggies for recipes like Simple Roasted Carrots Grate cheese and vegetables Mash foods like potatoes for Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes or apples for Applesauce Scoop batter to make muffins like these Blueberry Muffins Cut soft foods with a plastic or dull butter knife Dry and put away dishes

Kids 9 - 13 years old can:

Open cans to make these delicious Dark Chocolate Black Bean Brownies Use electric tools like blenders and mixers Drain cooked pasta or veggies in a colander like in this Green Beans with Tomatoes and Basil Remove trays from the oven using oven mitts Work with small paring knives to cut foods like collards for our Smothered Greens Wash dishes by hand or load a dishwasher

Want More Information?

How to Make Your Casserole

Casserole Ingredients

Whole Grains / Starch 

2 cups of cooked pasta, rice, quinoa, other whole grain, or potatoes
- Whole Wheat Pasta
- Brown Rice
- Quinoa
-Sliced/Diced Potatoes

​Protein ​​

2 cups cooked meat, beans, or approximately 2 cans of fish
- Beans / Legumes (Chickpeas, Black Beans, Lentils)
- Diced Chicken or Ham
- Ground Turkey
- Lean Ground Beef
-Sliced Chicken Sausage
- Canned Tuna or Salmon

​Vegetables 

2 cups of chopped fresh, frozen (thawed and drained), or canned (drained) veggies
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Spinach
- Green Beans
- Peppers
- Corn
-Peas
- Mushrooms
- Squash or Zucchini

​Sauce 

2 cups of sauce (or enough to cover the other ingredients)
- Canned Tomatoes or Tomato Sauce
-Basic White Sauce (Made with Butter, Flour, and Milk)
- 1 Can Low Sodium Cream Soup (Cream of Mushroom, Chicken, Potato, Tomato, etc. Thinned with Nonfat Milk)
​- Salsa

Seasonings

1–2 teaspoons of dried spices, 2-4 teaspoons of fresh herbs
 [Learn more about using herbs  or seasoning blends.]
- ¼  Cup Chopped Onions or Scallions
- ¼  Sliced Black Olives
- ½​  Cup Chopped Celery
- 1-2 Cloves Chopped Garlic 
- Onion, Garlic, or Curry Powder
- Herbs like Oregano, Basil, Cilantro, Thyme, Marjoram, or Tarragon
- Salt and Pepper (To Your Liking)

Toppings (Optional)  

- ¼ Cup Shredded Low Fat Cheese
- 2-4 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ Cup Chopped Nuts
- ¼ Cup Bread Crumbs
​- Nonfat Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt (Add After Baking)

Classic Casserole Ideas

​Rice & Beans Casserole Brown Rice + Black Beans + Green Onions + Corn + Salsa + Garlic + Low Fat Monterey Jack Cheese + Nonfat Sour Cream   Baked Italian Pasta  Whole Wheat Pasta (Rotini or Elbows) + Lean Ground Beef + Spinach + Tomato Sauce + Garlic + Parmesan Cheese   Green Bean Casserole (No Grains or Protein) Green Beans + Cream of Mushroom Soup + Onion Powder + Bread Crumbs

Healthy Casserole Tips

Casserole Recipes

Curried Chicken & Rice

Fajita Chicken Bake

Salmon Pasta Bake

6 Easy Steps for Making Hard Boiled Eggs

1. Place the eggs in a pot.
2. Pour water into the pot until the eggs are covered.
3. Put the pot on the stove with a cover.
4. Turn the heat on medium/high and cook until the water starts to boil.
5. Once the water is boiling, remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 6 minutes with the cover still on.
6. When the 6 minutes is up, rinse the eggs with cold water and peel.

​Egg Tips: Start with cool, room temperature water. This makes it easier to peel when you are done. To make a soft boiled egg, let it sit for 4 minutes after boiling. ​If you don't have a cover for the pot you're using, you can use tinfoil.

After boiling, this is what your egg will look like when you let it sit in the covered pot for...

4 minutes

5 minutes

6 minutes

Very runny yolk

Hard/runny yolk

Hard yolk

Make Them Egg-stra Tasty!​​

Where to Find Inexpensive Kitchen Tools

Multipurpose Kitchen Items - Save Money & Time

The Kitchen Basics

Tableware for Serving Food

Bowls Plates Utensils (Spoons, Forks, and Knives) Cups / Glasses Large Serving Spoon

Cookware & Bakeware

Medium/Large Skillet (and/or Large Glass Casserole Dish for Microwave) Medium/Large Pot Baking Sheet Baking Dish (9" x 13" is the most common size) Spatula Oven Mitt Food Thermometer

Food Prep Tools

• Can Opener
• Cutting Knife
• Medium/Large Mixing Bowl
• Measuring Cup(s)
• Measuring Spoons
• Cutting Board​
• Strainer/Collander
• Cheese/Vegetable Grater

Food Storage Containers

• Glass Containers with Lids
• Storage Bags or Plastic Wrap
• Recycled Food Jars or Mason Jars​​

Appliances

Oven or Large Toaster Oven Microwave Electric Skillet (if you don’t have a stove burner) Hand Mixer Food Processor or Blender Crock Pot (optional, but a great time-saver)

Keeping Your Kitchen Tools Organized

The following recipes need just one pot to make...

​Skillet Noodles and Beef ​ with Spinach

One Pot Mac & Cheese

One Pot Pasta with Veggies

And, here are recipes that only need one pan or dish...