Everyone at home for a day or a week or a month or over two months… It has become rather familiar by now. I am working on my next book, Bake Knit Sew 2, which features recipes to bake with kids. I had to narrow it down to just 12 recipes for the book. Like the recipes for the new book, each of the following three dishes is designed for families so though they are kid-friendly, they still require parental supervision to make. Another fun day recipe to add to this menu is my indoor s’more recipe.
These recipes were originally featured in February 2005 in my old newspaper column, Cooking Peas & Q’s in the New Mountain Tribune of West Virginia. I dug it out of the archives to share, but couldn’t find the photos. I won’t delay sharing the post though, but once I make this again I’ll snap new photos and add them here.
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Cheddar Straws
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese and butter. Blend in the flour and salt.
3. Form 6 balls with the mixture, then roll each ball out to resemble a breadstick. Cut each long straw into four shorter pieces. Place all the straws on the baking sheet.
4. Bake the straws for 7 minutes, or until golden brown.
Chicken Nibbles
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
3 cups corn flake cereal, finely crushed
1 pound boneless chicken breast
1. Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Coat a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch bite-sized pieces.
3. Whisk eggs and milk together in a small bowl; set aside.
4. Place corn flake crumbs in a gallon-sized zip top bag. Dip each chicken piece in the egg and milk mixture, then shake the pieces in the corn flake crumb bag (this is a good step for littler kids). Place each coated nugget on a cookie sheet. Repeat until all pieces are ready for the oven. Be certain to wash your hands and all surfaces that come in contact with the raw chicken meat.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken nibbles take on a golden color. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. For adults, this could be Buffalo sauce!
Cheese Discs
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup butter, melted
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir in the Cheddar cheese and melted butter to form a firm dough.
3. Roll pieces of dough into ropes as big around as a penny. Slice into 1/4 inch slices. If dough is too soft, it can be chilled until firm. Place slices onto the prepared cookie sheet so they are 1 inch apart.
4. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bottoms of the pennies are lightly toasted and the tops are firm. Allow discs to cool before serving or storing. Store in a dry airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
5. Serve alongside soup for dipping or instead of French fries.