6 Easy Meals Children Can Cook for Mother’s Day
Children often worry about finding or making the perfect Mother’s Day gift. However, what most mothers want is to spend time with their family for the holiday. The ideal day is a stress-free Sunday where everyone in the family gets along. With these simple recipes, children (and their fathers) can get together to give Mom the perfect Mother’s Day.
Banana Pancakes
Nothing brings up sweet childhood memories quite like banana pancakes. With just the right amount of sweetness and a little bit of nutrition — bananas are a fruit, after all — this recipe would be a great way to kick off Mother’s Day.
Ingredients
½ cup cottage cheese
½ cup sour cream
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 banana, peeled and cut into 18 thin slices
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or canola oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Blend the cottage cheese, sour cream, the 1 tablespoon of honey, vanilla extract, and salt in a blender until very smooth.
Beat eggs in a medium bowl until frothy. Beat in the cottage cheese-sour cream mixture.
In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Gradually stir into cheese-egg mixture, careful not to overmix.
Lightly dust the banana slices with some flour and set aside.
Brush a griddle pan with a small amount of vegetable oil. Heat over low heat, then increase to medium heat until a few drops of water splashed on the hot surface continue to sizzle for several seconds. Drop batter by spoonfuls (or a scant ⅛ cup measure) onto the hot griddle. Immediately top each pancake with one of the prepared banana slices in the center.
Spoon about a small amount of batter on top of each banana slice. Cook pancake 1 ½ to 2 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface.
Turn pancakes over and cook another minute or so until golden and puffed.
Remove pancakes to an ovenproof platter and keep warm in the oven set at the lowest setting. Lightly re-oil griddle pan as needed and continue to cook the remaining pancakes.
In a small saucepan, heat the remaining ½ cup honey and the 2 tablespoons lemon juice over low heat just until warmed, about 2 minutes.
Serve the hot pancakes on the platter or warmed individual plates. Pass the warm honey-lemon syrup for drizzling on top.
Heart-Shaped Egg in a Hole
Who needs a Mother’s Day card when you can have toast with a heart-shaped egg? OK, maybe don’t skip the card, but this adorable breakfast can get your Sunday off to a great, healthy start. Consider adding fruit or avocado on the side.
Ingredients
1 slice whole-wheat bread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large egg
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out the center of the bread.
Heat a medium-sized frying pan to medium heat. Add the butter, and once it has melted, swirl to coat.
Add the bread to the pan and let it cook on that side until golden. Using a spatula, flip the bread over.
Crack the egg into the hole in the bread. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for about 2 minutes or until the egg has been cooked through. You may also flip the bread over to finish cooking the egg on the other side. Toast up the cut-out bread piece in the pan as well and use it for dipping in the egg.
Sprinkle it with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Salmon and Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches
Planning to go all-out with Mother’s Day dinner? Then consider helping your child make a light lunch like these salmon and cream cheese tea sandwiches. If your child is too young to use a knife, enlist an older family member for help.
Ingredients
1 loaf white bread (such as buttermilk bread)
½ cup cream cheese (½ brick), softened
½ pound smoked salmon (nova), thinly sliced
Lemon juice, to taste
Dried parsley, to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Gather the ingredients.
Spread all of the slices of bread evenly with the cream cheese.
Cover one side of the sandwich with slices of salmon.
Season with the lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Put the slices together and cut off the crusts.
Slice the sandwich diagonally twice to create 4 triangle finger sandwiches.
Chicken Alfredo Casserole
This chicken alfredo casserole is rich, hearty and easy to prepare! To avoid having your child handle or cut raw chicken, which can be a safety hazard, consider dicing the chicken breast ahead of time. This could make the perfect Mother’s Day dinner for the whole family.
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) package rigatoni pasta
3 cups cooked diced chicken breast
1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
1 (10-ounce) container refrigerated Alfredo sauce
½ cup milk
⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil.
Cook the pasta in the water for 2 minutes less than cooking time on the package (the pasta will finish cooking in the casserole).
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine both containers of Alfredo sauce with the milk; heat until the mixture begins to bubble.When pasta is almost cooked, drain well and add it to sauce along with the chicken and half of the parmesan cheese.
Pour into the prepared dish and top with the remaining parmesan cheese.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Uncover the casserole and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese melts and begins to brown.
Apple Dump Cake
Looking for a delicious dessert that your child can help prepare? This apple dump cake would be perfect for the littlest aspiring chef in your household. If cutting apples is a challenge for your child, consider investing in an apple corer or having an adult help out. This easy, fun recipe is sure to be a hit.
Ingredients
¾ cup melted unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
5 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup nuts of choice, lightly toasted
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ cup sugar
1 ¼ cups apple cider, or apple juice
1 (18-ounce) box yellow cake mix
Instructions
Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with melted butter.
In the pan, mix the apples and nuts with 2 teaspoons of the ground cinnamon and the nutmeg and sugar.
Spread evenly in the pan and cover with apple cider.
Sprinkle dry cake mix over the apple mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
Pour the melted butter over top.
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
No-Bake Cookies
One of the quickest, easiest and most delectable desserts your child can make is a batch of no-bake cookies. They may require assistance when it comes to handling boiling water, but otherwise, this recipe is a cinch.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup butter
3 cups quick cooking oats
½ cut crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, bring the cocoa, sugar, milk and butter to a boil over medium heat. It’s important to bring these to a boil very slowly. Once they reach a rolling boil, boil for 60 seconds. Use a timer!
Pull the saucepan off the heat after boiling. Add in the oats, peanut butter and vanilla. Mix well.
Allow the mixture to cool for 1 minute and then drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Once cookies are placed on wax paper, allow them to cool until hardened.
At our Polk Catholic schools, we teach students to honor their mothers, and we think making these Mother’s Day recipes would be a perfect way to do so. We foster an atmosphere of care and an environment of high expectations and effective discipline. We allow students to explore their faith at school and encourage them to do the same at home. To learn more about what makes us different, contact us online.