If you are hosting, it is about time you start preparing for Thanksgiving, as it is right around the corner. You must have finished planning and shopping for the decor and theme, but before you sign off the menu for tomorrow, here is a suggestion, include some of these Thanksgiving recipes that even your kids can make.
Your children will be more than happy to get involved and take some load off your shoulders. Moreover, they will stay engaged for extended periods while you work on that lavish dinner spread. These recipes are a win-win for you as well as your kiddos. So, here are some super easy Thanksgiving recipes that your kids can be responsible for.
Chocolate Pretzel Rods
Melted chocolate, pretzel rods, and sprinkles are all your kids need to make this sweet and salty Thanksgiving recipe. Let them dip the pretzel rods in the melted chocolate (dark or milk chocolate) and cover it with sprinkles of their choice. They can alternatively make swirls on the dipped pretzel rods with melted white chocolate. To keep them engaged for a little longer, you can also ask your children to decorate the bowls or plates that you will be using for the pretzel rods. You can use this recipe for Christmas as well, adding some red and green sprinkles on the pretzel rods to amp up the festive vibe.
Mashed Potatoes
One of the most important side dishes of Thanksgiving is mashed potatoes. However, this year, let your kids grate, sieve, and mash the potatoes till they are light and fluffy in texture. Your kiddos can make the recipe with a hand beater or with a stand mixer (under your supervision, of course). Ask them to make several variations by adding different seasonings of their choice, like garlic, oregano, parsley, and so on. We are sure they will especially love the mashing part of the preparation.
Chocolate Caramel Turkey Legs
This no-bake Thanksgiving recipe will keep the kids excited. They simply have to mold softened caramel at the end of the pretzel and then dip it in the melted milk chocolate to resemble turkey legs. You can also use dark chocolate if that is what your little ones prefer. Let the excess chocolate drip off and set. You can even make this ahead of your Thanksgiving celebration as it stores well in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.
Chocolate And Peanut Butter Bark
Kids love everything chocolate and peanut. So, get their help to make this Thanksgiving sweet treat. Once you melt the dark chocolate and peanut butter in the microwave, spread them on the sheet and let your munchkins make a pretty pattern on it. Refrigerate the mixture to set it. Once set, break the bark into pieces. To keep them occupied for a little longer, ask your kids to pack these into clear bags or cute tins with a handwritten note, which your loved ones can then take home after your holiday dinner.
Turkey-Shaped Cheese Ball
Give all the ingredients for the cheese ball recipe to your kids, ask them to mix it all by hand (make sure they wash their hands before they start working on it), and make one big cheese ball out of the mixture. If your children feel icky about mashing the whole thing with bare hands, make them wear gloves. Once they have rolled the mixture up into balls, ask your kiddos to dress up the cheese ball with crackers and pretzels to make it look like a turkey. This turkey-shaped cheese ball recipe is guaranteed to be a hit at the kids’ table this holiday season.
Thanksgiving Turkey Cheese Board
This Thanksgiving recipe might be a hit with parents and kids alike. The best thing about this charcuterie board is there is absolutely no cooking required. It is all about arranging the cheese board in a turkey shape (or any shape, for that matter), making it a perfect dish to be crafted by your little ones. Young kids can wash the fruits while older ones can slice the cheese and roll the meat. Then, the ingredients can come together to make a pretty turkey-shaped charcuterie board for the Thanksgiving party.
Thanksgiving Shaped Cookies
No Thanksgiving is complete without cookies, which also happen to be most children’s favorite sweet treat. So involve your kids in the process and get this Thanksgiving recipe going. Place all the ingredients on the counter and ask them to mix them into a dough. Once done, let them roll out the dough on the counter and cut it into various shapes with the help of cookie cutters. They can cut the cookies into the shape of a turkey, pumpkin, and other things associated with fall and the holiday season. After baking, your kids can then dip the cookies in chocolate (completely or halfway) and add sprinkles on top to make it all the more fancy. Your kids can try icing the cookies as well. Doing the same with pumpkin cookies is also a great idea to engage your kids.
Pumpkin Pie Parfait Cups
Instead of making the traditional pie, try making pumpkin pie parfait cups this Thanksgiving. You can also get some help from your little ones for making and arranging them in cups or jars. Let your kids mix cookie crumbs with melted butter and place them at the bottom of the cup or jar. Then, beat sugar and cream cheese along with pumpkin purée and spice. With the help of a piping bag, kids can fill up the jars or cups with the filling and then you can simply refrigerate them till they set.
Candy Cornucopia
This Thanksgiving recipe is as easy as can be! Buy some waffle cones from the store, let your kids dip the edges of the cone in melted chocolate, and add some sprinkles to it. Then, fill the cone with a snack mix of your choice, candy pumpkins, and candy corn that one can eat on the go. Best time to whip out these? When the family is enjoying movie time! These would be a great replacement for popcorn buckets.
Veggie Turkey Thanksgiving Tray
This is the easiest Thanksgiving recipe for your kids. Simply cut some vegetables, like red, green, and yellow bell peppers, carrots, celery, cucumber, yellow squash, olives, and other veggies that you know your friends and family will enjoy. Let your children decorate them on a plate to resemble a turkey. Serve the veggies with a dip (or several dips) and you have a handy tray that your guests can snack on while you serve the rest of the dishes. You can also let your older kiddos cut the veggies in fun shapes (under supervision and with a kid-friendly knife). Using small cookie cutters for making the shapes is a safe option if you want your little ones to feel involved.
Caramel Apple Rice Krispies Treats, Harvest Snack Mix, Apple Nachos, Pilgrim Hat Cookies, and so are a few other Thanksgiving recipes that your kids can try their hands at. These are super easy and minimally messy (because there is bound to be some mess when children are involved). So, try these Thanksgiving recipes with your kids and make beautiful memories together during the holiday season. Just don’t forget to remind your little ones to wash their hands before working in the kitchen because those little hands could have been playing with a toy or drawing with a crayon, and we wouldn’t want any of that in our food.
