Kraft Recipe Makers Review & Kids Can Cook BBQ Pork Kolaches

Do your children cook?  Kraft has created a new line of meal starters (Kraft Recipe Makers) that are perfect for a budding chef...they are also perfect for a family or daycare that needs to create well-rounded meals easily!  Today I'm sharing a fun BBQ Kolache Dinner recipe and a kid-friendly printable recipe page and my favorite tips for cooking with kids  and my review of Kraft Recipe Makers!

   Yum

My six-year old was thrilled to make these all by herself.  Of course I supervised, but she actually did each step:

1.  Make sure you have the ingredients: Kraft Recipe Makers Hickory BBQ Beef, 2-pound pork roast, 2 cups cheese, California-style vegetables, and crescent rolls.

Kraft Recipe Makers is a new product--you should be able to find them by other "meal starters" in your local Safeway store.  My Randall's store actually had them in the condiment isle, right next to the barbecue sauces!

2.  Open the Kraft Recipe Makers box.  Inside you will find two sauces: one cooking sauce in a jar (Brown Sugar & Cider Vinegar) and one pouch with finishing sauce (Sweet Hickory BBQ) in it.

This is the first time we have used Kraft Recipe Makers, and I am already a huge fan!  The flavors (there are seven to choose from) are wonderful and they make the entire cooking process extremely easy.  You just add your own fresh ingredients to their savory sauces and...(as you'll see)...you're done!

3.  Set the roast in a crock pot.  (You can use any meat you want--we just like pork!)  Pour the Brown Sugar & Cider Vinegar sauce (in the bottle) all over it.

4.  Cook on HIGH for 7-8 hours, or until the meat is cooked.

5.  Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Shred the meat.  This is fabulous fine-motor practice!

6.  Stir the Sweet Hickory BBQ sauce into the meat.

7.  Open the crescent rolls and spread them apart on a cookie sheet.  Lining the pan with aluminum foil will make clean-up easier, but you can see we didn't.  Add a (child-size) handful of cheese to each roll.

8.  Add a small pile of meat to each roll.

9.  Wrap the roll around the meat and cheese.  Pinch it closed.  The bread will easily stretch around the filling and pinch closed.

10.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the roll is a golden brown color.  Some ovens cook faster than others, so watch it closely!

11.  Pour the vegetables into a microwave-safe bowl and add one tablespoon water.  Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes.  Serve with a little butter and salt.  Doesn't that look delicious!

My daughter felt like a real chef, and my family loved her meal.  We made enough for lunch the next day with our daycare friends, who also enjoyed them!  I love how Kraft Recipe Makers actually made enough food for our (admittedly huge) needs for such a reasonable price.  I will definitely be using it again--think of all the possibilities: crock pot, sandwiches, steaks, stir-fries, casseroles, burritos, pasta sauces!

Since you all want to encourage your children to follow written (or illustrated) directions, I'm sharing a {FREE} printable recipe HERE.  Of course, you're also welcome to print off this blog post too!

And, to make your cooking experience a little more fun, here are my top 5 tips for cooking with children:

#1.  Give yourself extra time!  At the very least, allow twice as much time as it would take you by yourself.  As an example, I can roll a pan of kolaches up in 5 minutes, but it took my daughter 15.  She was very pleased with herself, but it would have been frustrating for both of us if we needed them done quickly.

#2.  Sample as you go along!  Once the BBQ sauce was mixed in to the meat, she wondered what it would taste like, so I let her try it!  This involves additional senses and makes cooking even more fun.

#3.  Make sure all materials are gathered before you start.  This recipe is great because there are only five ingredients.  Just make sure you put the crock pot, cookie sheet, mixing bowl, cutting board, and forks on the counter nearby!

#4.  Pay attention to your child's temperament.  She may be ready to roll up one pan of kolaches, but if rolling up three pans is too much it can make cooking a stressful event.  Be prepared to take breaks or help out (especially in the beginning!) to give your child a successful experience.

#5.  Let your children do as much as they possibly can!  It can be hard when you know their fingers will get gooey, but when they know they've done everything possible they feel more ownership and confidence.  Let the cooking begin!

Would you like more tips and recipe ideas for cooking with children?  Check out my Kids Can Cook Pinterest board, and be sure to join me again for another child-friendly recipe!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

I may share at any of these parties!