10 Apple Dishes Kids Can Help Make
Tara Donne
Nothing says fall like the crunch of a good apple. Sure, kids love eating 'em fresh out of the fridge, but here are 10 simple ways for your brood to help cook — and eat — their way through apple season, enjoying every bite.
1. Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp (pictured above): If this is your kids' first crisp, you can't go wrong with Ina Garten's classic take. Kids can sprinkle the topping on with their fingers.
2. Healthy Apple Spice Quick Bread: Make one loaf for breakfast and snacks, and a second to freeze for later. Kids can shred apples and grease the pan.
3. Slow-Cooker Apple Butter: There's no need to peel or even core the apples with this recipe; just follow the step-by-step directions. Bigger kids can help cut the apples while the little ones can throw handfuls of the apple quarters into the slow cooker.
4. Peanut Butter Dip with Fresh Apples … To Go: A homemade snack you can feel good about serving on the go? You got it. Kids can fill the jars with peanut butter dip.
Tara Donne
5. Flat Apple Pie with Perfect Pie Crust: Simpler than a regular pie with all that pinching and scoring, Ree Drummond's version is perfect for little guys to pitch in. Kids can knead and roll the crust.
6. Sugar-Free Strawberry-Apple Fruit Roll-Ups: Made entirely of fruit and honey, this is another way to get more produce into those tiny bodies. Kids can hit the buttons on your blender and smooth out the puree before it bakes in the oven.
7. Roast Pork Loin with Apples: Roasted apples pair perfectly with salty pork in this delicious one-pot dinner. Kids can peel apples and cut veggies for the pan.
8. Israeli Couscous with Apples, Cranberries and Herbs: Instead of serving veggies tonight, try Giada De Laurentiis' side dish full of fresh apples and dried cranberries. Bigger kids can cut apples, and smaller kids can sprinkle on the cranberries and herbs.
9. Apple Coleslaw with Poppy Seed Dressing: Carrots, cabbage and apples — what a fresh take on a classic! Kids can peel carrots and shred everything (even if it means using a food processor).
10. Pork Chops with Golden Apple Sauce: For a faster version of pork and apples, try Rachael Ray's instant dinner, done in less than 30 minutes, of course. Bigger kids can chop apples while the little ones squeeze lemons.
Charity Curley Mathews is a contributor to The Huffington Post and the founder of Foodlets.com: Mini Foodies in the Making…Maybe. She lives in North Carolina with her husband plus their four small kids, and dreams of someday getting the dishwasher unloaded before it's time to start making dinner again.