When I look back on my childhood, I have fond memories of meals my parents and I would make together, usually consisting of Stouffer's French Bread Pizzas, homemade banana bread, and my mom’s famous grilled cheese sandwiches.
My parents were always eager to get me involved in the kitchen — whether that was helping my mom flip Mickey-Mouse-shaped pancakes in the morning or helping my dad grill the perfect steak in the evening.
I credit these experiences to why I am still the food-curious person I was as a child, which shows that getting kids in the kitchen when they’re young can help them build lifelong skills, or even help them find their passion, just like I did.
“When you’re working together as a family to build a meal, it can give kids a lot of confidence that you’re trusting them to be part of that process,” said Kelly Rose Hirsh, assistant director of administrative operations at the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg.
“It’s just a nice social experience where you’re making memories together and building some skills along the way.”
Starting simple, with recipes that kids won’t feel overwhelmed by, is important, Hirsh said, along with teaching them food safety guidelines like washing your hands often, avoiding cross contamination, and cleaning as you go to name a few.
“Using step stools is great for cooking with kids so that they can reach counters and reach the sink,” she added. “And really simple things like before you get started, making sure you’re pulling back long hair, pushing up sleeves, and using aprons if you have them to minimize messes.”
The 577 Foundation hosts Little Chefs classes throughout the year, with its next class being Little Chefs Family Edition: Brunch on March 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. To learn more and register, visit 577foundation.org/classes-events/culinary-arts.
Linda Napier, the membership director for Wolf Creek YMCA in Maumee, agreed with Hirsh’s sentiment that safety is a top priority when teaching kids to cook.
The non-profit hosts monthly cooking classes for children, called Kids that Cook for ages 3-6 for the first class and ages 6-12 for the second. For more information and to register, visit ymcatoledo.org/programs/118/education/?locations=36.
“We teach them how to be safe around hot things, knives, things like that, but then also how to safely wash produce, how to wash their hands before and after,” Napier said. “We try to keep safety as number one.”
Getting kids in the kitchen allows them to learn responsibility and ownership over what they’re making, the membership director said, and it can even get them to try new foods that they haven't previously experienced.
“I love seeing the kids, how proud they are with what they’ve accomplished, when they’ve made something and it’s good,” Napier continued. “They’re proud of it. I love seeing that face, that confidence they get.”
Recipes this week are geared toward dishes you could make with kids at home, or even some meals you may find in classes at both the 577 Foundation and the YMCA.
Homemade French Bread Pizza is an ode to my childhood, and to the meal that I would have at least once a week. It’s still a comfort food for me, and I even have a Stouffer's pizza in my freezer right now as I type this.
The frozen pizza is pretty solid, but French Bread Pizza is even better — and dare I say just as simple — homemade.
Slicing a loaf of French bread in half, smothering it in pizza sauce, and then having your kids add their toppings of choice is all this meal really takes.
Pop-Tarts are a breakfast staple in many households that kids love, making a homemade version one they might love even more.
Premade pie crusts are rolled out and filled with sweet strawberry jam, baked, and topped with a homemade icing and plenty of sprinkles. I shaped mine into hearts, but you can go with the classic rectangular shape, too.
Old-fashioned banana bread is a recipe provided by Hirsh at the 577 Foundation, but is reminiscent of my mother’s recipe that I made with her countless times growing up.
Banana bread is a classic for a reason — it’s warm, nutty, and oftentimes topped with a pad of butter. And what's better than that?
French Bread Pizza
Yield: 8 servings
Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 loaf French bread
1 cup pizza sauce
½ cup pepperoni
2 cup mozzarella cheese
Other pizza toppings of choice, like onions, olives, bacon, etc.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, melt butter. Add garlic powder and fresh parsley. Slice the French bread lengthwise and brush garlic butter mixture onto the bread.
Place the French bread on a large baking sheet, open-side up. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until the bread is nice and golden-brown.
Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350-degrees. Place half of the pepperoni in a layer over the bread.
Spread pizza sauce over the pepperoni.
Add cheese and remaining pepperoni. Add more pizza toppings, if desired.
Source: Inspired by Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza, adapted from Fav Family Recipes
Homemade Pop-Tarts
Yield: 10 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 refrigerated premade pie crusts (at room temperature)
Strawberry jam, or jam of choice
1 egg
For the icing:
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drop red food coloring
Sprinkles
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
On a bakers mat, parchment paper, or a counter with flour unroll the room-temperature pie crust.
Using a heart cookie cutter start cutting heart shaped pieces and place them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. You will want to rotate your cookie cutter to get as many cuts as possible out of your pie crust. Knead remaining pie crust and roll it out to about ⅛ inch thick and cut the remaining hearts.
On half the hearts place one tablespoon of jam in the center of the heart. It does not need to be perfectly spread — it will even out when baking.
In a small bowl, beat an egg for your egg wash. Brush the inside edges of your heart.
Place a heart cut out on top. Now seal the edges together with your finger. Then use a fork and press down to crimp the edges around the whole heart.
Use the fork to poke some holes into the top of the pop tart to release steam. Brush the pop tarts with the remaining egg wash.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
While the Pop- Tarts are cooling, make the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Once the consistency is smooth, add one drop of red food coloring and mix together.
Using a spoon, add icing to the top of the pastry. Use the back of the spoon or a small spatula to smooth it out. Top with sprinkles and serve.
Source: Adapted from Weekend Craft
Old Fashioned Banana Bread
Yield: 1 9-by-5-inch loaf pan
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Unsalted butter (to grease pan)
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup canola oil, or other neutral oil
1 cup sugar
2 large, ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan on all sides and dust with flour. Tap out excess flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs with oil, then mix in the sugar, add the mashed bananas, and vanilla.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until combined, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Add chocolate chips, if using, and stir. The batter may be a little lumpy. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean and the top of the bread is browned.
Let cool for 15 minutes, then turn bread out of the pan, slice, and serve with a smear of soft butter.
Source: Courtesy of Kelly Rose Hirsh, the 577 Foundation, adapted from Food & Wine
For recipe suggestions, contact Maddie Coppel at: mcoppel@theblade.com.
First Published February 15, 2025, 12:50 p.m.
