Best child friendly thing to cook?

[PuckyMup]

I’m a bit of a novice with bigger kids and have the company of a 4yr old in a few weeks for an afternoon, dinner and bed :) Last time we did pizza which was a big hit, but don’t want to repeat that if I can.

Any suggestions? Happy to slice and dice and do some prep

Chicken nuggets always a hit here. We make our own, which my 3 5 year old loves. That or anything in wraps. Also fun for them to make.

I find it's always best to ask the parents.

Then you can blame them if it's not eaten

Tbh I'd repeat the pizza, it was what I was going to say before I'd clicked into the thread and see your OP. You know it's a hit and they might be disappointed if you do something else!

I don't think children mind repeats. Pizza - followed by an old-fashioned knickerbocker glory.

I'd ask the parents or make home made pizza so they can spread the sauce, add the cheese and choose any other toppings.

Most kids will eat pasta, but ask the parents or offer a variety of toppings - cheese sauce, tomato sauce, pesto, grated cheese etc.

Macaroni cheese is always a hit in our house

Beans on toast for my two, if pizzas out.

Sausage and chips would be my 4yos request

Sorry, not sure I was clear, looking for ideas of things to make with her :) not just feed her

Roast chicken dinner...I've never known a kid not like that.

I would just ask the parents what they like to eat. In general, kids dont turn down pizza, but if you want to cook something rather than just stick something in the oven, they may like lasagne or pie or something you didnt expect.

Mine loved at that age, and still love, baking 😀 They'd like icing thing so little fairy buns were winners.

They also liked eating the icing, sprinkles etc.

haha, one of mine wouldn't have eaten the roast chicken dinner.

Apple crumble is a fun one to make. I'm struggling to think of savories other than pizza that can be done together. Most of mine would have eaten pinwheels which take a lot of time.

I make a Fajita Station with little bowls of different things they can use to make their own fajita - or take requests from the other kids and grown ups there - my god daughter loves doing this as she feels she has 'helped' but I know everyone will definitely enjoy it taste wise as I've done most of the actual prep myself!

Also pizza making with a twist where you use toppings to make your pizza look like each other is always fun. If a little hurtful when she used an Olive to recreate a spot I had on my face that particular day. Especially because I don't like olives 😂

I second the idea of home made chicken nuggets, they're great fun and most kids will eat them.

Maybe bake some little cakes or biscuits for afters too?

Pancakes - they can be savoury as well as sweet. But do ask the parents - I have a very fussy eater, and while pizza would have gone down well, few of the other suggestions would. DD will even make apple crumble, but won't let it near her mouth....

+1 for icing buns, always a winner. Rice Krispie buns are a great crowd pleaser too.

My dd always loves making pizzas! She's 5 and we've been doing it since she was about 2, I make the dough in advance and she likes to roll it and add the sauce and toppings.
She's a big fan of a garlic tear and share or dough balls too (and with dough balls you can do savoury with garlic butter or sweet with Nutella dip), there's a fan recipe for pizza express style ones.

Failing that, pasta and they can help make the sauce.

We also like baking, cupcakes or biscuits to make and then decorate for pudding.

Defo make pizza with either tortilla base or puff pastry which my DC love. You can prep the toppings so they can top and decorate their own :) it's my 11 year olds favourite thing to do.

@ragged how do you make pinwheel that mean they take a long time? They are a 10min (max) job here so I'm wondering if its the same name for a different thing?

My small kids won’t eat tomatoes and so won’t eat pizza. Nor will they eat pasta with sauce, so no macaroni cheese. Nothing with sauce in fact, so nothing that dips into anything else and nothing that comes with sauce so no pies, casseroles, gravies or lasagnes. They wouldn’t eat sausages, and possibly might eat a bite or two of a chicken nugget, but more likely peel off the breadcrumbs into a little pile. Roast chicken dinner would be eaten as long as nothing touched anything else, including gravy. Wouldn't eat apple crumble or any stewed fruit but would eat an apple and a biscuit....

And yet are good healthy eaters as they eat pretty much all fruit and vegetables and in healthy quantities. Just nothing MIXED TOGETHER.....

Definitely ask the parents. Working as a dinner lady there is always one child who doesn't like the favourite thing most kids love and wants vegetarian paella. Having said that the favourite dinners are pizza, sausage and mash, roast dinner, macaroni cheese, curry and rice, fajitas, jacket potatoes, fish and chips, nuggets and chips, burger and chips.

Supervising a child doing anything can take ages. I think OP was looking to involve the child in the food prep.

Fish pie
Home made pizza - kids love helping to make them!
Bangers & mash
Jacket potatoes
Spag Bol
Basically most things you would eat - my 7 yo doesn't like nuggets, fish fingers etc but give her some mash, veg & gravy & she's happy!!!