Cozy Cooking with Your Teens

Ingredients

• ½ cup of patience
• 1 or more hungry teenagers (note, most teenagers come prepackaged this way)
• 1 or more adults willing to relinquish control and/or order takeout if things go poorly
• 1 dish everyone is interested in (chosen by a teenager is best)
• 1 tablespoon of creativity
• 1 fire extinguisher (just in case)
• 87 pounds of fun

Directions

Step 1: Getting Started

Cooking can be an extremely rewarding experience for teens. It builds confidence. It teaches responsibility, patience and math. It might even lead to them eating something other than cereal all the time (though, no guarantees). Most importantly, it can be a lot of fun for the entire family.

This can be even more true when something goes wrong, so my other important tip: don’t stress. When you realize you forgot to purchase butter and have to substitute mayonnaise, or when someone puts in a tablespoon of cinnamon instead of a teaspoon, that’s when the real magic occurs and memories are made.

It can also be rewarding to hand over the reins for teens to cook themselves with the freedom to add their own creative touches. So, occasionally show them how, or leave them instructions, and step back. If your teen seems reluctant to cook, they might just need the space to do so on their own, and they can later proudly show you what they made.

Step 2: Choosing What to Make

Certainly, if your family has a traditional meal with significance and your teen is on board, go with that. Otherwise, it’s ideal to choose something that is easy, allows for a degree of creativity (perhaps with a topping), and most importantly, is something your teen wants to eat. Try bringing home a bunch of recipe books and letting your teen decide.

Here are a few suggestions of cozy meals for your teen to cook, with or without your help:

• Lentil soup
• Mac and cheese
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Cake (from a box)
• Tacos
• Pasta with tomato sauce

The preparation for all these dishes is fairly simple (boiling water, chopping vegetables, etc.). However, if you want something a bit more exciting, check out Kristine Hansen’s list of Recipes Teens Should Know by Heart on Taste of Home.

Lastly, try pairing the dish with a fun activity, like dinner and a movie. You could do pizza with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, chocolate cake with Matilda, or ratatouille with… well, Ratatouille.

Step 3: Repeat and Enjoy

Consider making cooking with your teen a regular event. It’s a fun, low-cost activity that doesn’t require traveling anywhere (especially when the weather outside is crummy). Feel free to follow these instructions or make up your own!