# What should I teach my 8 year old grandchild to cook tomorrow? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [March 7, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368 "2021-03-07T01:12:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/1 "2021-03-07T01:12:43Z")
I’d like some ideas please to teach my granddaughter to cook on our day together tomorrow. Ideally something impressive but not too difficult. She isn’t too picky about food. Anybody got a good idea? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/2 "2021-03-07T01:52:57Z")
I love the idea. How about a soup or stew? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/3 "2021-03-07T01:58:31Z")
Barbecue skewers. Threading the meat and whatever else (I like onions and capsicum) on the sticks is a nice straightforward task, and most of what makes them tasty is “sit in the marinade while time passes” - also easy! And they’re fun to eat. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/4 "2021-03-07T02:02:08Z")
Cookies. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/5 "2021-03-07T02:08:40Z")
Meatballs ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/6 "2021-03-07T02:18:53Z")
Or meatloaf, or chili. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/7 "2021-03-07T02:19:02Z")
French toast. Easy and impressive. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/8 "2021-03-07T02:24:21Z")
Quesadillas. You said she isn’t a picky eater, but it’s easy to tailor to her tastes. Prepare any animal protein you want ahead of time, and make sure there are plenty of colorful veggies to add. I’d recommend something like thin sliced jalapenos and red peppers. So when you’re ready to cook, butter the tortillas ahead of time on one side, put them in a medium hot stainless or cast iron skillet. She can drop in the pre-cooked protein and sliced veggies and sprinkle the cheese, top with the tortilla, and flip when melty to brown the other side. It’s tasty, cheesy, crispy, buttery and colorful. Should be a win. And it’s something she can help with with minimal risk. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/9 "2021-03-07T02:33:38Z")
Another vote for French Toast. I’ll have some! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/10 "2021-03-07T03:11:19Z")
Ask her some of your favorite foods then teach her how to make one or two of them. My almost 4yo granddaughter loves to make muffins for instance. Or boxed macaroni and cheese, scrambled eggs, cheese quesadillas, scrambled egg breakfast tacos. Cookies are always a big sense of accomplishment. Rice Krispy bars. I always build in lots of kitchen safety, nutrition, measuring, etc but that can all be lots of fun. Sing along to Spotify while you cook. Ratatouille Is a very fun movie about cooking if you have access to Disney. > **[Ratatouille (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratatouille_(film))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > > Ratatouille (/ˌrætəˈtuːi/ RAT-ə-TOO-ee) is a 2007 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The eighth film produced by Pixar, it was written and directed by Brad Bird, who took over from Jan Pinkava in 2005, and produced by Brad Lewis, from an original idea by Pinkava, who was credited for conceiving the film's story with Bird and Jim Capobianco. The title refers to ... ---
**Author:** ![steepone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@steepone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steepone)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/11 "2021-03-07T09:27:12Z")
I agree with the stew, it’s fairly easy to cook, hard to screw up and is open to experimenting Everyone should know how to cook a stew ---
**Author:** ![tavaritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@tavaritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavaritz)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/12 "2021-03-07T09:41:26Z")
Pasta & red sauce. If she learns now how to cook pasta al dente she never forgets it. Red sauce is something that can be as easy as tomatoes & basilika or as complicated as you want with chilies or mushrooms etc. So it will fullfill her needs in the future as it can be done as cheaply as anything else or as posh as she want to impress her friends. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/13 "2021-03-07T10:52:29Z")
Thanks for all the great ideas everyone. I’ll show her this thread and let her choose or make a suggestion of her own. Her 7 year old brother will be next, but he is a very picky eater. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/14 "2021-03-07T16:07:38Z")
7 year old brother – franks and beans. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/15 "2021-03-08T01:57:25Z")
There is always pizza and there are dozen of ways to make it. Crust ideas: English muffins, bagels, wheat tortillas, french bread, pitas, among others. Sauce ideas: Regular red sauce, barbecue sauce, alfredo sauce, pesto sauce, salsa. I am sure there are others to try as well. There are numerous cheeses and toppings to try. Too many to list here. Here’s one recipe I would recommend: > **[Chicken Salsa Pizza](https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-salsa-pizza/)** > > "This zippy chicken pizza is sure to become the most-requested version in the house," assures Mrs. Guy Turnbull of Arlington, Massachusetts. "The cooked chicken and a prebaked crust make it quick, easy and oh-so-good." ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/16 "2021-03-08T05:51:40Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I’ll show her this thread and let her choose or make a suggestion of her own. So what did you cook? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/17 "2021-03-08T06:18:03Z")
French toast would have been good. Can’t go wrong with French toast. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/18 "2021-03-08T10:44:22Z")
She got in trouble and wasn’t allowed to come hang with me. I was very disappointed. We’ll try on the next visit, which should be in the next week or so. I told the kids that they can’t just come visit my twitch game or laptop from now on when they come over. They can choose between a cooking lesson or going for a long walk or some other activity. Her brother is supposed to come today so we’ll see what he wants to do. He is a very picky eater though. Thanks again for all the suggestions. We’ll look it over when she comes next time. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/19 "2021-03-08T15:40:28Z")
Forgive me for butting in (with a possible threadshit) but why are YOU being punished because she got in trouble? Unfair! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368/20 "2021-03-08T15:48:38Z")
I like the French toast idea as well. When my kids were young teens, I told them to find a recipe for a dinner item and we’d cook it together. My daughter chose a chicken enchilada recipe that was not too difficult and it turned out delicious! I use that recipe to this day. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-teach-my-8-year-old-grandchild-to-cook-tomorrow/937368.md?page=2)