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You have baked all the cookies, made cute sandwiches with cookie cutters, and maybe even let the grandkids help stir your famous marinara sauce – so now what? Cooking with your grandkids is such a joy that not only gives you time to bond but gives you a chance to share your favorite recipes and teach them how to cook! Are you ready to up the ante and try something new that will dazzle and delight both you and the grands? Then try one (or all) of these 12 whacky and crazy recipes your grandchildren will love making with you:
1. Rainbow grilled cheese
What kid doesn’t love grilled cheese? While plain grilled cheese will always suffice, it is more fun to eat when adorned in rainbow colors! To make, simply divide shredded cheese into portions and color each with natural food coloring. Layer the colored cheese onto the bread and cook until melted, creating a vibrant and gooey rainbow grilled cheese sandwich.
2. Octopus hot dogs
Octopus hot dogs, where you slice hot dogs lengthwise into eight “tentacles” and boil them until they curl up. Serve atop a bed of mashed potato “waves” or macaroni and cheese “coral.” Or some healthy greens like in the photo.
3. Dragon egg meatballs
Have you seen the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise? The films are charming and colorful and would make a perfect grandma/grandchild movie night. Make your popcorn even more special by whipping up dragon egg meatballs with a surprise cheese cube inside. Once cooked, serve the “dragon eggs” with a fiery dipping sauce (or your famous marinara).
4. Galactic popcorn
It may not be dragon-themed, but galactic popcorn goes well with any movie night! To make this out-of-this-world treat, pop some popcorn and toss it with edible food glitter, colored sugar, and candy-coated chocolates to create a fun, colorful space-themed snack mix. Yum!
5. Volcano rice bowls
An easy, grandchild-approved entree is a volcano rice bowl. Mold cooked rice into the shape of a volcano, hollow out the center, and fill it with a “lava” sauce, such as sriracha mayo or spicy ketchup. Surround the volcano with edible “rocks” made from vegetables or cubed proteins, a la chicken or steak.
6. Dessert sushi
You cannot have a rice-based meal without a correlating dessert! Enter dessert sushi, made by using fruit leather as the “nori,” rice crispy treats as the “rice,” and various candies and fruit as the “fillings.” Slice and serve with chopsticks for a fun twist on a traditional favorite.
7. Funny face quesadillas (or any food)
I talked in the intro about cutting shapes out of sandwiches, which is along the same lines as the funny face quesadilla. Though somewhat self-explanatory, the funny face quesadilla consists of making a simple cheese quesadilla and letting the kids use salsa, sour cream, and sliced veggies to create funny faces on top.
8. Edible slime
Making slime is all the rage, but you, cool grandma, will take it to the next level by creating an edible version. To make edible slime, use 1.5 cups of cornstarch, 3.4-ounce vanilla pudding, and 1/2 cup of warm water. Mix all 3 ingredients well. Kids can play with the slime before eating it and add other fun elements like sprinkles.
9. Penguin snack bites
Forget the pre-packaged fruit snacks or crackers, as penguin snack bites are healthier and more fun. Use black olives, cream cheese, and carrots to create the adorable penguin-shaped snacks, and then assemble a whole colony and serve atop a platter of “ice” made from cubed cheese or cucumber slices.
10. Unicorn toast
Cereal is good and all, but unicorn toast is much more magical! To create this magical meal, mix cream cheese or yogurt with natural food coloring to create a rainbow of spreads. Apply them to toast and decorate with edible glitter, sprinkles, and/or fruit.
11. Underwater adventure salad
Kids aren’t huge fans of veggies, but not even the pickiest eater can turn down this fun and nautical variation! To prepare an Underwater adventure salad, arrange leafy greens on a plate to create a seaweed base, and use sliced vegetables and fruits to form ocean creatures like fish, turtles, and seahorses. Drizzle with a light vinaigrette or yogurt-based dressing.
12. Edible sand art
Keeping with the ocean theme, edible sand art is a tasty snack or dessert that can be whipped up by layering crushed graham crackers, colored sugar, and mini chocolate chips in clear cups to mimic sand art. Top with whipped cream and fruit for a unique treat. (Tip: If they still don’t want to eat their underwater adventure salad, you can bribe them with one of these! Wink.)
There you have it: 12 crazy and whacky recipes that you and your grandkids will enjoy making together! As always, let me know how everything turns out 🙂 If you have any other recipe ideas, I would love to hear about them. What are you waiting for? Go make some fun and delicious memories!
