Simple Meal Hacks for Your Kids

BY Micaela September 8, 2021

Do you want to stay relevant to your kids and spend less time cooking for them? If you answered “yes” to both questions, then start researching meal hacks on TikTok to find the trendiest and easiest recipes for your family. Many have jumped on the app, from expert chefs to inventive home cooks to share their unique hacks, and the results are tasty!

Baked Feta Pasta

The super-popular TikTok baked feta pasta is a hearty dish made with roasted cherry or grape tomatoes, tangy feta, and al dente pasta. This baked dish is one of those recipes that’s ridiculously easy – simply fill a 9 x 13 baking dish with a 7 oz cube of feta, tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 F with slightly undercooked pasta, and basil and you’ve got your next meal handled! If you want extra bursts of flavor, you can add parmesan cheese, spinach, or crushed red pepper flakes.

Tortilla Wrap Fold

This trend has people cutting, folding, and filling tortillas with all sorts of ingredients. Come up with a flavor profile and pick four or five complementary ingredients to include in your tortilla. For example, if you want to go with a pizza flavor gather tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, peppers, and mushrooms. Using a knife or scissors, create a slit halfway down the middle of the tortilla’s diameter, divide it into four quadrants, then fill and fold with your ingredients before crisping in a skillet. You want to crisp it in the skillet, so use your favorite fat such as oil or butter to extra flavor and optimal crunchy texture.

Pancake Cereal

If you are cooking for anyone who isn’t really into eating breakfast, pancake cereal will be a game-changer for them. You start by making a basic pancake batter, but instead of pouring it onto a pan, you put the batter into a squeeze bottle or zip-lock bag, which will allow you to cook them up into cereal-sized pancake dots. Once the pancake cereal is cooked, add it into a bowl and drizzle with maple syrup or butter before pouring a little milk. You can add berries too. 

Mac and Cheese In A Mug

This TikTok hack is the perfect comfort food. All you need is your favorite pasta, water, milk, cheese, and salt, and in less than five minutes, you’ll be left with the most delicious mac and cheese. Start by putting ½ cup of pasta into a mug and add just enough water to cover the pasta. Add a pinch of salt and microwave for two to three minutes. Once the pasta is al dente, add in about 3 tbsp of milk, along with around ¼ cup of your favorite cheese. Put it back in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until the cheese is gooey and melted.