I am a firm believer that the best and easiest way to get people into healthy eating habits is to teach them as kids about real food and how to cook! There are so many ways to get kids involved in the kitchen. From taking the kids to the Farmer’s Market in the summer to help pick out fresh produce (a weekly ritual for us), to getting them in the kitchen helping form a young age there are teachable moments every day. Even toddlers can do their part, and they love helping at that age. You can start with getting them to fetch items, put things in the garbage, wash things up, and helping set the table. If kids think cooking fun and a family affair, they will grow up wanting to keep the tradition alive, and get in the kitchen versus ordering out, or grabbing processed meals. Plus you will be teaching them the skills they need to cook once they are no longer living with you.
There was a recent study that found while 77% of Canadian families eat home-cooked dinners five or more nights a week, only 12% let their kids help cook these dinners. However 90% of parents actively believe that teaching kids to cook is an important part of helping them live healthier lives. This inspired myself to strive to create a world of healthier meals and better habits for my kids. I think getting families in the kitchen and cooking together is such a fun memory and great life experience.
We are taking up a kid friendly Cooking Challenge, and we made a recipe that is perfect for busy weeknight dinners: Easy Chicken Quesadillas. I decided to make quesadillas because I like the fact that little kids can help assemble the dinner. They feel involved, but it is safe for their younger age. Also Quesadillas are perfect for families where each person likes different things as you can easily customize each one to what that person likes. Everyone is happy, and the kids feel excited that they helped out. So lets get cooking. Here is what you need for easy weeknight Chicken Quesadillas.
Easy Weeknight Chicken Quesadillas
Easy Weeknight Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 Onion diced
- 1 Can of Corn drained
- 1 Package 250g Uncle Bens Bistro Express Basmati Rice
- 1/2 Cup Salsa
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese grated,
- 1/2 cup Bell Peppers diced
- 2 Chicken Breasts cooked and diced
- 8 Soft Tortillas
- Salsa and Sour Cream for the side if desired.
Instructions
- In a large frying pan cook onions for 3-5 minutes on medium heat until they are starting to brown.
- Add in rice and corn stir to combine and heat for 3 minutes.
- Stir in salsa to rice mixture and remove from heat.
- Assemble quesadillas by topping half of a tortilla with rice mixture, chicken, peppers and cheese Spread out so the ingredients cover half the tortilla while leaving a 1cm gap around the edges
- Fold tortilla over to make a half circle and secure with toothpicks
- Toast quesadillas on a griddle or in a large non-stick pan , greased with light spray of cooking oil over medium heat.
- Cook until tortillas are browned on both sides and cheese has melted.
- Serve warm with salsa and sour cream. Enjoy!
What I love about this recipe is that you can prepare everything ahead of time, then just assemble, heat and enjoy. I will cook up chicken breasts and use a couple for stir fry, and then save a couple for another recipe such as this one. This shortens the prep time you need to get dinner on the table.
What is your favorite way to get your kids involved in cooking? What recipes do you make together?
Those look delicious, and the best part is they’re easy. I’m always running to or from somewhere, so if I cook, it needs to be fast!
My girls love quesadillas!! I bet they would love these and love helping too!!
I grew up cooking with my grandmother and mother and now my grandchildren are cooking with me and their grandfather! Cooking with kids is so important! Thanks for the great recipe!
omg these look SO yummy!! now i am totally craving. will have to give this recipe a try 🙂 thank you
These look so good! We love eating quesadillas in our house. My son has really shown an interest in cooking lately and I bet he’d love to help make these.
Yumm these look easy and delicious 😉
These look SO yummy – definitely going to try this recipe on a busy night soon.
Great recipe. I also tend to cook a ton of chicken breasts on Sunday and use them for a few days. It makes my weeknights so much simpler.
Mmh, these look good. I would never have though of putting rice in a quesidilla. This one is almost like a fried buritto.
Those Quesadillas look very yummy! I think it is very important for kids to be in the kitchen and learn how to cook. Helping to stir, measure and pick out food to use are all great ways to get them involved.
Cooking with kids is so important and now I am cooking with my grandkids,when my children were young and right to when they went on their own we cooked together.My son cook make the best pot of soup and my daughter could mix up a tasty batch of Raisin bread.
Chicken Quesadillas is a favourite in our house.
My oldest and my youngest love to cook but my middle child doesn’t like it much. I like recipes like this that the kids can do a lot of on their own.
Love it !!! Keep Cooking !!!
this recipe looks easy & tasty, I can’t wait to make it with my grandson, thanks
Love this recipe. I’m afraid that none of my 7 kids were the slightest bit interested in learning to cook. To my surprise, now that they are adults, at least 2 of the boys are very good cooks – now how did that happen?