Easy Cooking for Teens

Bonding with Your Teen Over Breakfast Burritos

A New Way to Connect

Are you looking for a new way to connect with your teenager? Something to peel their eyes up and away from their phone? Cooking with your teen can be an opportunity to connect in a way that is low pressure. You can chop vegetables side-by-side and have a conversation without looking directly at each other, something teens can struggle with at times. A relaxed kitchen environment might make them feel comfortable and more likely to share those hard to talk about deep feelings. A breakfast burrito may appeal to your teen.

I remember having some great conversations with my mom while she made dinner. I would wash and peel veggies, and she would tell me about helping her mother in the kitchen. It was a time to share family stories and talk about our day. I looked forward to spending that time together. Now I look back fondly on those memories.

A Teaching Opportunity

Many teens can be notoriously uninvolved in family activities, so it may take a little coaxing to get your older child to join you in the kitchen. Besides an opportunity to connect, cooking with your teen also teaches them basic life skills. Teaching teens how to prepare food is an essential life skill that will help them survive when they move out. We all need to eat to live yet so many young adults move out of their parents’ homes without this basic life skill. They rely on fast food as nourishment. I work with college students and I am shocked by how many of them do not know what a rolling boil looks like or how to cut up an onion, but they can all place an order with Uber Eats or Door Dash in minutes.

Let Them Lead

It might be challenging, but letting your teen take the lead in the kitchen is an important part of the learning process. Many of us learn best through doing, not just watching others. While it can be scary to watch your teen yield a chef’s knife, wouldn’t you rather they learn with you in a safe environment, instead of trying that sharp knife for the first time in their very first apartment? You want to create a space in the kitchen for your teen to explore, create, make mistakes, and celebrate success. This confident inclusion will build confidence and reinforce your home as a safe place for your teen.

Role modeling the entire process is important. Decide what meal you are going to make together. Try letting your teen pick the recipe. Work together to build the grocery list and take your teen with you to go grocery shopping. Talk about budgeting for food and show them the cost differences between generic and store brands. Find out if there are ingredients you can buy locally at a farmers market. These are opportunities to teach your teen skills that they are not learning in the classroom.
Let’s not forget cleaning up! Although it may not be as much fun as cooking, as adults, we know that cleaning up is an essential part of the process, and it is important to teach teens this same message. Consider splitting the duties with your teen; they wash the dishes, and you dry.

Start With Breakfast

When first learning to cook, breakfast can be less intimidating than dinner and is a good option to build your teen’s skills and confidence in the kitchen. Breakfast burritos are a nice choice because everyone can personalize their burrito to their liking. Leave out the bacon if you are not a fan or add sautéed diced onions and bell peppers for some veggie power.
Remember, you can also have breakfast for dinner! It is always a hit in our house. Talk with your teen and pick a day to make breakfast burritos together. Not only will you pass on life skills, but you may also make memories your teen does not soon forget.

Basic Breakfast Burritos

Makes four burritos

• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 4 flour tortillas (skip the tortilla for a breakfast burrito bowl)
• 4 strips crumbled cooked bacon (try soy chorizo for a vegetarian option)
• ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup salsa
• ½ avocado

Beat eggs and milk together in a medium bowl. Scramble eggs in a medium-sized pan over medium-low heat. Warm tortillas over an open flame or in the oven. Build burritos to your liking by layering eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese in the center of an open tortilla. Top with sour cream, salsa, and avocado. Fold two ends of the tortilla in towards each other and roll-up. Enjoy!