Stuck for summer holiday activities? Why not teach them to cook? It’s practical, educational and most of all fun! (Plus you’ll have lunch sorted as well!)
This burger recipe is from Amanda Grant’s book Kids in the Kitchen and is written specifically for children as young as 5 to follow and have a go at. They’ll love getting stuck in mixing and chopping and the finished product is just perfect for a summer lunchtime in the garden.
Ingredients
a little olive or vegetable oil
about 35 g Cheddar cheese
small handful fresh herbs e.g. parsley, coriander or thyme
2 spring onions
1 free-range egg
500 g good-quality beef mince (don’t buy extra-lean mince otherwise your burger will be too dry)
8 bread rolls, some lettuce, sliced
tomatoes and tomato ketchup
Equipment
pastry brush
baking tray
table knife
chopping board
scissors
mixing bowl
small bowl
spoon
fork
palette knife
oven gloves
Skills
_ chopping with table knife
_ using scissors
_ cracking eggs
_ counting
_ dividing
_ shaping
_ using oven
Turn the oven on to 190°C (375°F) Gas 5. Dip a pastry brush into a little olive or vegetable oil and brush it all over a baking tray. This will stop the burgers from sticking to the tray.
Using a table knife, cut the cheese into small pieces on a chopping board. Using scissors, snip the herb into small pieces and put into a mixing bowl. Still using scissors, snip the ends off the spring onions and throw away, then snip the onions into tiny pieces and put in the bowl.
Now you need to crack open the egg: hold it in one hand and carefully use a table knife to crack the egg in the middle. Put your thumbs into the crack and pull the egg shell apart. Let the egg fall into a small bowl. Fish out any egg shell with a spoon. Mix with a fork.
Put the beef mince, chopped cheese and egg into the bowl with the herbs and onions and mix everything together really well with your hands.
Break the beef mixture in half and then break each piece in half again to make 4 pieces (quarters). Now break each quarter in half again to make 8 pieces (eighths). Roll each piece into a ball with your hands, then put onto the oiled baking tray and flatten into a burger shape. Do the same with all the pieces. Now, WASH YOUR HANDS – you must always wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat. Ask an adult to help you put the tray into the oven using oven gloves. Cook for 8 minutes. Ask an adult to help you take the tray out of the oven using oven gloves. Using a palette knife, turn the burgers over and put back in the oven for 8 more minutes or until cooked in the middle. Eat in bread rolls with lettuce, tomatoes and ketchup.
Tip: To make lamb burgers, swap the beef for lamb and add thyme leaves, plus snipped dried apricots instead of Cheddar cheese.
You can also see how to make these burgers, as well as other recipes great for kids of all ages to make, in our Youtube videos...
If you think you're child would like to learn to cook, check out Kids in the Kitchen by Amanda Grant.