25 easy recipes for kids to make

Could you have cooked all these dishes when you were 11?

Boy cooking

by Lorna White |
Updated on

Cooking is a very important skill to have in life. And whether you learned your cooking skills from your dad or your grandma when you were younger, we've all got those trusty family recipes we're forever going back to!

But have you ever thought about how long you've been able to cook up a storm? A survey conducted by Samsung Family Hub, has found that parents think children should be able to rustle up at least 25 different meals by the time they’re 11. These include classics such as cottage pie, sausage and mash and a Victoria sponge.

This is despite the fact that children's kitchen skills have diminished by a third over the past 25 years thanks to things like fast food and quick microwave meals, so it's no wonder why modern day children aren't cooking as much as we did!

If your grandchildren are around this age, and you're keen to get their cooking skills up to scratch, here are the classic meals you could help teach them to make including the likes of spag bol, bangers and mash and more.

25 easy recipes for kids to make

How many of these do you think you could cook at 11 and how many do you think the 11+ year-olds in your life could cook confidently?

Spaghetti Bolognese

spaghetti

A classic family dish that the whole family will love. Once you've made the tomato bolognese sauce, you just need to cook the spaghetti and drain to finish the dish.

Scrambled eggs on toast

scrambled egg

You can't go wrong with a simple scrambled egg dish. Perfect for breakfast or a light dinner if you're not feeling too peckish!

Omelette

omelette

Omelettes are great for little fussy eaters as you can put in any ingredient they like. Just make sure to use a good quality non-stick frying pan, or you might end up with scrambled egg.

Jacket potato

Jacket potato

A baked potato is a brilliant filling dinner for anyone, and with baked beans (and even cheese) on top they're super tasty.

Cheese on toast

cheese on toast

Teach your grandchildren how to use the grill with a simple cheese on toast. Just don't forget to toast your bread first otherwise you'll end up with soggy bread.

Cottage pie

cottage pie

classic British pie recipe, perfect for cosy night's in with a side of healthy veggies. For a shepherd's pie, you can swap the minced beef with minced lamb.

Sausage and mash

Sausage and mash

What child doesn't love a dish of sausage and mash? Learning how to make their own creamy mash is a brilliant skill. Swap out your pork sausages for some veggie ones with our top pick of the best non-meat sausages!

Pasta bake

Pasta bake

A pasta bake is a tasty and healthy dish that's super easy to make. They're great for feeding the whole family and you can add all sorts of different meat and vegetables and even fish.

Stir fry

Stir fry

A stir fry is another dish that's great for fussy eaters as you can change the ingredients you include. One of our favourites is this quick and easy veggie stir fry recipe, made using a whole heap of left over veggies!

Porridge

porridge and fruit

Knowing how to make a creamy porridge is a must have skill for a hearty and nutritious breakfast. We love to put some tasty fruit on top of ours and some honey or syrup to sweeten it up!

Dippy eggs

Dippy egg

Dippy eggs and toast soldiers is a comforting dish we can enjoy from ages 1 to 101! Just be sure to make sure they're being careful with the boiling water.

Slow cooker dish

beef stew

Whether you prefer a beef stew or a chicken casserole, knowing how to make a slow cooker dish is good to know and one of our favourite slow cooker recipes is a warming beef stew.

Pancakes

Pancakes

A tasty stack of pancakes is a lovely brunch idea. Top with some berries and maple syrup for a sweet treat.

Pizza

Pizza

Pizza's are so fun to make (and even better to eat). Top with your favourite toppings to make your pizza personal to you. We recently had the pleasure of testing out a pizza oven and we were very impressed with the results!

Lasagne

Lasagne

Another Italian dish that's a favourite for all families. Serve this lasagne with a side of garlic bread and salad. Watching the weight? Have a go at this Slimming World lasagne recipe

Mac and cheese

Mac and cheese

Children love a tasty dish of mac and cheese so it's a great recipe for little chefs to know. Add some bacon for an extra treat.

Fairy cakes

Fairy cakes

From decorating them to eating them, fairy cakes are a brilliant treat to enjoy, whatever the occasion. Try out this tasty vanilla and chocolate cupcake recipe.

Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken

Once you've roasted a chicken, you can enjoy it in so many different ways, from having a roast chicken sandwich to adding it to a tasty risotto. Find some more inspiration with these leftover chicken recipe ideas.

Chilli con carne

Chilli

A mild chilli con carne is a treat for everyone and a great family recipe to know. We love this delicious chilli recipe from the Hairy Bikers!

Burger

Burger

Making a burger from scratch to cook on the barbie and enjoy in a burger bun is actually easier than you think. Prefer to swap your meaty burger for a veggie option? Have a go at this tasty veggie burger recipe.

Meatballs

Meatball

Similar to the burger recipe, little hands might find it easier to make the meat into balls rather than a burger. These taste great served with pasta and tomato sauce.

Victoria sponge

Victoria Sponge

When you're not sure what kind of cake to bake, it has to be a classic Victoria sponge with some fresh cream and sweet jam sandwiched in the middle.

Cornflake cakes

Cornflake cakes

You can make this simple recipe using either cornflakes or rice crispies and once you've covered them in melted chocolate and popped the mix in cupcake cases, you just need to pop them into a fridge until set.

Apple crumble

Apple crumble

A crumble is a much loved British recipe, especially when served with a tasty side of custard, cream or ice cream.

Scones

Scones

From sweet to savoury, scones are a brilliant and basic recipe to have in your repertoire. We love scones served with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

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Lorna White is a Senior Digital Writer at Yours.co.uk. She was previously a writer at Yours Magazine writing features and news stories before joining the digital team. Lorna loves the great British countryside and likes to spend her spare time out and about in her home of Nottinghamshire walking her dog, Pippin.

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