A rainbow of veggies gives kids the variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need for healthy brains and bodies. Roasting veggies on a rimmed stainless steel baking sheet allows the heat to seal and crisp the outside of the ingredients, drawing out the natural sugars, keeping the insides tender, and intensifying the flavors that kids love. An entire meal can be prepared quickly on one commercial-quality pan making the clean up simple.
When kids have an organic container veggie garden on their patio, they can pick fresh veggies and roast a mixture for a quick tasty dish in minutes. Kids can wash their organic fruits and veggies and eat the peals, since they are not sprayed with poison and contain a concentration of nutrients. Kids can line the sheet pan with parchment paper before cooking and cut the foods to about the same size and thickness so they will all cook evenly spread in a single layer on the sheet pan. Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it a healthy, easy to clean method, unlike nonstick pans, which are toxic to your health and to the environment during their manufacturing. The veggies can be brushed with organic extra virgin olive oil or tossed into an oil based marinade before cooking. Preheat the sheet pan with the oven to get caramelized crispy edges to the veggies.
Kids can cook their favorite meals perfectly on the baking sheet pan or heat up leftovers. Nachos with chili, stews, lasagnas, and enchiladas are easy to make, especially if the ingredients are prepped in advance. The sheet pan is also good for baking cakes, streusels, cornbread, and bar cookies. For a party, the ingredients can be prepared ahead on the sheet pan. Kids can simply pop the pan in the oven at any time while enjoying the party.
Cooking Magic for Kids 