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Original poster

AIBU to ask for help on french themed food for kids

42 replies

ShakespearesSisters · 30/07/2024 17:15

We are having a French/Olympic themed camp for a couple of nights with the Brownies.
I'm looking for easy to make, French food, that the girls are likely to eat.
We have French toast, crepes, pain au chocolate, croissants, ratatouille, onion soup and ham and cheese baguettes.
Just looking for a few more ideas before we bulk it out with other stuff.

OP posts:
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BobandRobertaSmith · 31/07/2024 14:47

Definitely hot chocolate in bowls for breakfast! I’m not sure it is so common now but I found it both fun (and funny) as a child visiting family in France.

I also loved trying the different flavours of crisps that you can’t get in the UK. You can often find Lays crisps in UK convenience stores in flavours that Walkers (same brand, different name) don’t sell in the UK.

Lidl sometimes sell snails…

How about couscous? France isn’t monocultural… I believe couscous (like curry in the UK) was voted to be the nation’s favourite dish at some point in one of those silly surveys.

It’s the wrong time of year but how about Gallette de Rois, served at epiphany? Like hiding a coin in Christmas pudding, there is a hidden bean. The person who finds it gets to be king/queen for the day and wear a paper crown.

goingdownfighting · 31/07/2024 13:18

Cheese board?

mitogoshi · 31/07/2024 13:17

Frites, winner every time.

Mine rather liked moules marinere at that age and roast duck but neither are going to be in budget. Cassoulet, puy lentil salad with bacon and goats cheese, tartiflette can all be done more reasonably

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 31/07/2024 13:13

We once had a child's birthday cake made in France, by a patisserie, and when it arrived it was an extremely light and slightly damp sponge with tons of fruit and cream. Delicious.

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 31/07/2024 13:12

Crepes.

lanadelcake · 31/07/2024 12:41

Clafoutis is my favourite, but probably not the best for this occasion! Grin

Frenchsplit · 31/07/2024 12:39

Steak haché, aka burgers!

A staple of every French kids menu

Couldyounot · 31/07/2024 12:34

NoraLuka · 31/07/2024 12:28

Pain au chocolat vs chocolatine is France’s version of bread roll vs baps/barms/cobs etc 😁

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Think it's worse than that, isn't it? You can get thrown out of places for using the wrong word 😬

NoraLuka · 31/07/2024 12:28

Kittybluecat · 31/07/2024 10:51

Brioche bun cut in half. Chocolate squares inside. Kids love it.
And pain au chocolate is actually called choclatine in france. Check the spelling though.

Pain au chocolat vs chocolatine is France’s version of bread roll vs baps/barms/cobs etc 😁

AdaColeman · 31/07/2024 11:42

You need some Apericubes to be truly French! 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷

Quiche Lorraine et frites would be a good choice for a main meal for kids, don't forget the mayonnaise!

Give whatever food you're serving its French name.

Quel plaisir vous aurez tous! 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷

SanMarzano · 31/07/2024 11:31

Itsajobones · 31/07/2024 10:49

Can't imagine many kids liking onion soup! I don't know many adults that like that. I think all the breakfast ideas you have are good but for dinners I like the idea of baked camembert, crusty French bread and sides.

I’m surprised by that, it’s never struck me as a particularly marmite food?

My suggestions:
Puy lentil salad - you can buy a ready cooked pouch of them
Creme caramel (ready made)
pain perdu
chou farci (a rolled up cabbage leaf with filling, you could pre-cook and get the kids to assemble them)
Cheese board!
Poire belle helene (poached pears with ice cream and chocolate sauce)

Sometimesnot · 31/07/2024 11:30

Gummy frogs? Pinwheel wraps as ‘snails’?

Challenge them to build the Eiffel Tower out of raw spaghetti and marshmallows. Then eat the marshmallows?

TheNinny · 31/07/2024 11:12

Macarons!!!! not sure if hard to make, but some place sell them - saw some tescos tenderly and prob mns et al do them.

and cheese platters 😁

Investinmyself · 31/07/2024 10:52

Get a catering size bucket of Nutella. When we took the guides to Disneyland Paris the Nutella at the breakfast buffet was the biggest wow of the trip.

Kittybluecat · 31/07/2024 10:51

Brioche bun cut in half. Chocolate squares inside. Kids love it.
And pain au chocolate is actually called choclatine in france. Check the spelling though.

Itsajobones · 31/07/2024 10:49

Can't imagine many kids liking onion soup! I don't know many adults that like that. I think all the breakfast ideas you have are good but for dinners I like the idea of baked camembert, crusty French bread and sides.

Original poster
ShakespearesSisters · 31/07/2024 10:43

Thanks for all your suggestions. You have given me some great ideas to go along with what I already had.

OP posts:
ODFOx · 30/07/2024 21:08

Oeuf en coquotte with soldiers for breakfast, with a pitch brioche and hot chocolate. (Petit dejeuner)
Baguette avec beurre, jambon et tomatoes.
Coq au vin avec pommes puree et haricot vert ou petit pois.

You have a six puzzle there as they work out the menu 🙂.

Coddled eggs with soldiers, brioche and hot chocolate for dipping.
Baguettes with butter, ham and tomatoes.

Chicken stew with mash and green beans or peas.

On top of your list that's more than enough, unless you are going to make a challenge meal with snails, frogs legs etc?

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 30/07/2024 19:54

Bake some Bries in the fire?

Sparsely · 30/07/2024 18:28

omlette aux herbes fines is simple enough

Bonne Maman Madeleines (esp the chocolate ones) or the little tarte au citron that they do.

Definitely sirops in fancy flavours (grenadine, peach and mint were always favourites with my kids). They also like Schweppes Agrume which is a like bitter lemon but made with a variety of citrus fruit.

I guess you could try them on some pate (but probably not all of them will eat it)

You could put some chantilly cream in their hot choc before bed (not that they would want hot choc in this weather)

Meadowwild · 30/07/2024 18:20

crepes nutella for dessert

Meadowwild · 30/07/2024 18:19

poulet frites is a classic - plain roast chicken leg with thin fries and a spoonful of ratatouille on the side

croque monsieur - ham and cheese toastie on soft white bread with a bit of bechamel sauce

sunsetsandboardwalks · 30/07/2024 18:15

BiggerBoat1 · 30/07/2024 18:02

Why not? You’ve only got to grate celeriac and then you could mix it with any mayonnaise. Why is it any more faff than ratatouille or onion soup which was on the OP’s list?

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I'm not sure PP was referring to how much faff it is Grin

NoraLuka · 30/07/2024 18:13

French tacos. At least then they won’t be hungry again for a few days 😁