What can your 9 year old cook?

[wegetthejobdone]

I'm trying to encourage my 9 year old to cook meals rather than cake. He does like cooking and can use the oven and hob independently (although he can't use the grill as its too high up), and he can chop veg safely. Its helping his confidence to cook by himself which he really needs at the moment.

What do your 9 year olds or a little older cook for the family? I'm particularly looking for simple meat based meals as I'm vegetarian so aware my meat based cooking is pretty limited.

[bearlyactive]

I remember seeing a children's recipe book in a charity shop recently... it had basic recipes in it like brownies and biscuits and soup if I remember rightly. It was farmyard-themed and featured two kids called Poppy and Sam... I flicked through it idly so that's all I remember! Might be worth having a look online?

[bearlyactive]

I think it might have been this

[ShouldWeChangeTheBulb]

My 9 year old will make pancakes for breakfast for her and her brother. She can also make fried egg and beans on toast. She can do a cheese sauce but I’m afraid of letting her do onions independently and moving pans of boiling water so it’s hard to do much else without me doing bits for her.

[GunsAndShips]

9yo DS can make his favourite meals so lasagne, fajitas, tacos, burritos. Some supervision required but he knows what to do.

Can also make pizza dough, basic sauces, hunters chicken, pasta based meals and a basic curry.

[ifigoup]

If it’s meat-based things you want then there’s plenty of oven stuff he could do pretty easily:

Sausages, potato wedges, roasted broccoli and/or cauliflower (just cut up veg, toss in oil and put on an oven tray)

Chicken traybake: chicken thighs/drumsticks on top of a tray with cut-up veg: peppers, mushrooms, aubergine, courgette, whatever. Sprinkle with whatever he likes out of e.g. paprika, fajita seasoning, garlic powder, ras el hanout. Put in oven till chicken is cooked through.

Salmon or other meaty fish, in a foil parcel with e.g. sliced fennel, asparagus, cherry tomatoes or whatever, and a drizzle of lemon juice and oil or butter. Can add dried herbs. Bake till fish is cooked through. Serve with bread to avoid need for pans of boiling water.

[wishywashywoowoo70]

Well I need to give my 8 year old a kick up the backside.

[Timeforabiscuit]

@wishywashywoowoo70 - I was thinking the same for my ten year old !

[Ace1185]

Soup, beans on toast, banana loaf

[Kanaloa]

Mine can do simple things like beans on toast, scrambled eggs, oven pizza. Anything more complicated I think I would need to do a lot of ‘helping.’ I remember when I was about that age at Brownies we used to take turns making food in pairs, not sure if they still do this!

[MintyMills]

Hilarious and typical mumsnet

My 13 year old can do pesto pasta and noodles. And that's maybe it. The odd bagel from time to time.

I've not felt the need to teach him how to do a tray bake or some salmon just yet

[AriettyHomily]

Scrambled eggs in the microwave.

Beans or spaghetti on toast.

Toast or sandwiches.

Super noodles.

They're fairly competent with knives bit not a chance I'm letting them loose in the kitchen.

They can finally make a decent cup of coffee in the press for me.

[wishywashywoowoo70]

SS can make pot noodle
Put things on an oven tray in the oven
Micro rice
Shambles

[wishywashywoowoo70]

@wishywashywoowoo70

SS can make pot noodle
Put things on an oven tray in the oven
Micro rice
Shambles

He's nearly 16.

[Escapedtothecountry]

When I was 11 I was expected to make an evening meal for 5. Would do mash, beans, lamb chops or similar. Thought nothing of peeling potatoes, chipping them and then cooking them in chip pan of boiling fat.
Probably a safefuarding issue now!

[minipie]

Super impressed at the 9 year old who can make lasagne. I can’t and I’m 40

[Notsureimdoingitright]

I often wonder if Mumsnet users are being real when they say their tiny kids can do these things.
As a chef I know how quickly and easily I can be burned so I always supervise and make sure the task is age appropriate.. lasagne at 9? Is that including prep? I'm astounded! Lol

[Chilver]

Yes, lasagne impressive!!

My 8yo can do:
Scrambled eggs
Omelette
Fajitas with fried mince and cut veg
Different salads (makes under own cutting different veg etc)

[beela]

I've been watching the latest Jamie Oliver series with my 9yo. His son Buddy is about the same age I think, and he pops up to help quite a lot. So anyway, I've ordered the most recent JO book for my ds, he's really inspired by seeing someone his age on TV cooking.

[LindaEllen]

Oh my god. This has opened my eyes. My 17yo step son can do nothing other than microwave a packet of rice. My parents never taught me to cook and I taught myself when I moved to uni so I thought this was normal.

Clearly I'm wrong! Good on all of you for getting them interested in cooking!

[sugarbum]

Well my 10 year old can use the toaster. Thats about it. He knows how to use the kettle but he's afraid of it. And he also knows how to use the microwave. But again, worries about using it. He can do cakes but doesn't understand the oven controls. Much like DH.

The 13 year old can make stuff but frets so I have to be there watching him. He does good meatballs but like his dad runs out of steam unless I'm cajoling him.

[AfterSchoolWorry]

My God!

My dd 8 can make toast, that's it!

I can't believe what your kids can cook such things!

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

@wishywashywoowoo70

Well I need to give my 8 year old a kick up the backside.

Right? Mine's 9 in a few months and can't even make toast! And she's so dreamy and forgetful I wouldn't trust her with anything more complicated!

[scrivette]

I think my 9 year old can make toast but that's it , he can make a peanut butter sandwich though and get fruit out of the bowl.

I could make tea at 9 but there is no way I could let him near a kettle of boiling water.

[anniversarywoes]

This thread is soooo Mumsnet it hurts
My 2 year can effortlessly cater a dinner party for 8.
4 courses, including a selection of complicated desserts.
Do I win?

[FurrySlipperBoots]

I wish my mum had taught me to cook! First, it's such an important life skill, second, I would have eaten much healthier as a teenager if she'd involved me in healthy meal prep, and probably have struggled with my weight less, third I would have loved the individual time with her and fourth I might actually be able to cook more than microwave meals now!