With all the Valentine’s Day excitement, don’t forget the little sweethearts in your life—your kids. Make Valentine’s Day 2017 for the kids extra special a nice Valentine’s Day dinner before you step out with your partner for your own special dinner. Here are some quick and easy-to-make Valentine’s Day dinner recipes for the kids to check out.
5 Easy Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas for Kids
Grilled Cheese and Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For tomato soup:
- 4 finely diced garlic cloves
- 1 cup finely diced vidalia onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cans diced tomatoes, 28-ounce size
- 3 cups chicken stock or “no chicken” broth (vegan version)
- ½ teaspoon basil
- 2 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Pepper and sea salt
Grilled cheese hearts:
- Oatmeal bread slices
- Mozzarella slices
- Butter
Directions
Tomato soup:
In a saucepan, stir-fry the diced garlic cloves, diced vidalia onion in olive oil, and fresh thyme leaves. Saute for five minutes over medium heat.
Next, include the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, basil, sugar, and half-and-half. Grate some Parmesan cheese and season with pepper and sea salt. Cook all the ingredients for 15 to 20 minutes and ensure a smooth consistency.
Grilled cheese hearts:
Cut a heart shape into two slices of bread with a heart-shaped cutter. Spread some butter finely on one side of a slice and place it in a pan over medium heat.
Put a cheese slice on top of the bread slice and top it with the other bread slice. Keep the buttered side facing upwards. Keep flipping the sandwich, until each side is lightly brown and crispy.
Serve the bowl of tomato soup with the cheese sandwich floating in the center.
Calzone Recipe
Ingredients
For dough:
- 1 package yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ¾ cup white flour
- 1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
For filling:
- Mozzarella cheese
- Marinara sauce
- Turkey pepperoni
Directions
Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl and let it sit for five minutes. Add white flour and whole wheat flour with a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil.
Mix some more yeast in the mixture and make the dough. Keep the dough in a warm place and let it rise for one or two hours.
Make flatbreads with small portions of the dough with a rolling pin. Cut out heart shapes with heart-shaped cutter. Fill in with a thin layer of marinara sauce, turkey pepperoni, and cheese.
Top it with the other heart-shaped flat bread and crimp the edges together with a fork. Place on a baking tray and bake it at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly browned. Serve with marinara sauce dip.
Heart-Shaped Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
For the homemade pizza sauce:
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¹⁄8 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
For the pizzas:
- 1 pound of your favorite pizza dough
- Fresh mozzarella cheese, grated (about 8 ounces)
- All-natural pepperoni slices
- Homemade pizza sauce
Other materials:
- 1″ heart cookie cutter
- 4 ½” to 6″ heart cookie cutter
- Pizza stone or cookie sheet
- Flour for dusting
- Parchment paper
Directions
Start by preheating the oven to 500 or 550°F and set a pizza stone or large, rectangular cookie sheet on the top middle rack while the oven is preheating.
Prepare the sauce by adding tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, olive oil, dried Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and sugar to a medium-sized skillet. Keep the heat on medium and stir the ingredients well. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer.
Meanwhile, prepare the pizza crusts, pepperoni, and cheese. Cut out heart shapes into the pepperoni slices with a small cookie cutter. Next, dust some flour on a large parchment paper and roll the pizza dough out flat.
Cut out heart shapes with the large cookie cutter and cut out as many as you want. Smear one to two tablespoons of sauce on top of each crust, sprinkle with cheese, and top with pepperoni.
Put the pizza crust in the oven along with the sheet of parchment and place it gently on the pizza stone or cookie sheet. Bake for five to 10 minutes.
Fun Banana Boat Dessert Recipe
Ingredients:
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Whipped cream
Directions:
Hold the banana with the curve facing upwards. Cut off a ¼ of the top with a sharp knife. Using a small melon scooper, make a shallow, elongated groove. It must be deep enough to hold fruit pieces.
Spray some orange juice or lemon juice on the banana to prevent oxidation. Fill the banana boat with small-cut pieces of fruits and add a dollop of whipped cream.
Pink Lemonade Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust:
- 1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, soft
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup pink lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2-4 drops pink coloring, if desired
- 2-4 tablespoons sugar, depending on your taste
Whipping cream topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, for garnish
- Micro mini hearts, for garnish
Directions
Crust:
Mix crushed graham crackers with sugar and melted butter. Press mixture into heart shaped silicone baking cups or pie plate.
Put it in an oven and bake it at 350°F for about eight minutes. Remove them from the oven and let it cool.
Filling:
Add milk and softened cream cheese in a large bowl and whisk it well. Stir in pink lemonade concentrate, lemon juice, and pink coloring. Combine thoroughly and spread it on the cooled crust. Freeze it.
Whipping cream topping:
Mix heavy whipping cream with vanilla in a large chilled bowl with chilled beaters. Mix until it thickens. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat again on high speed until stiff peaks form. Garnish the pink lemonade with a dollop of whipping cream and Wilton micro mini hearts.
Sources:
Fitch, K., and Pierce McCullough, S., “Fun-to-Eat Grilled Cheese and Soup,” Parenting web site; http://www.parenting.com/article/fun-to-eat-grilled-cheese-soup, last accessed February 13, 2017
Fitch, K., and Pierce McCullough, S., “Calzone Recipe for Kids,” Parenting web site; http://www.parenting.com/article/calzone-recipe-for-kids, last accessed February 13, 2017
Zee Drieu, N., “Kid’s Kitchen: Heart-Shaped Homemade Pepperoni Pizza,” Makezine.com web site, February 10, 2011; http://makezine.com/2011/02/10/kids_kitchen_heart-shaped_home/, last accessed February 13, 2017
Fitch, K., and Pierce McCullough, S., “Fun Banana Boat Dessert,” Parenting web site; http://www.parenting.com/article/fun-banana-boat-dessert, last accessed February 13, 2017
“Pink Lemonade Pie for Valentine’s Day,” Hoosier homemade web site; http://hoosierhomemade.com/pink-lemonade-pie-for-valentines-day/, last accessed February 13, 2017
