Learn with Play at Home: Stuff and Bake Pizza Rolls. Cooking with Kids

Today's cooking with kids recipe is a fun idea for lunch or even a quick dinner. Children are more likely to eat it when they've been part of the process. This recipe is particularly good when you've got some left over bread rolls that didn't get eaten fresh. Use the basic recipe idea, add in your own ingredients to taste and hey, presto!

You'll need one bread roll per person. Cut a "lid" out of the top and press the bread inside to make a hollow cavity.

Prepare your pizza fillings. We used chopped baby spinach, diced fresh Roma tomato, shredded cheese, sliced green olives and some shredded ham.

Layer the fillings inside the roll. We like to put a bit of cheese on the bottom and top as well as some through the other ingredients so that it all melts nicely together.

Stuff the fillings in! As the cheese melts and the ingredients disintegrate slightly from the heat, you should really pack the fillings in so that your roll doesn't appear half stuffed after it's baked. (A good discussion point with the children about the changing properties due to heat.)

Handy tips for learning while cooking

- Whilst this recipe, unlike our banana berry muffin recipe, doesn't focus on set amounts, measuring, numbers etc. there is still a lot to be learnt naturally through discussion:

Talk with your children about the ingredients while you cook. The different colours, textures and tastes.
Where do the ingredients come from and how they are grown/produced?
Where would they sit on the healthy living pyramid?
Which ingredients should we eat most of and which should we eat in smaller amounts?
How will the ingredients change with the addition of heat? (science)

- Simplify this recipe for younger children by prepping the rolls and chopped ingredients first and providing to your child to stuff with their desired ingredients.

- Extend this recipe for older children or those with more advanced kitchen skills by having them cut and hollow the rolls as well as chop and prepare the fillings before stuffing and putting in the oven.

- Kitchen Garden. Any vegetables you can source from your own veggie patch would be fabulous for this recipe. The process can start with the planting all the way through to eating their stuffed baked pizza roll! (And, you can make your own bread rolls as well)

When your pizza rolls are stuffed, put the bread roll lid back on top and pop them into a moderate oven until the cheese is melted inside and the outside is brown and crispy.

When they are done, cut in half so that they can cool a bit before the kids eat them and serve while still warm.

Stuff and Bake Pizza Rolls recipe

Ingredients: (we used)

Bread rolls
Cheese
Baby Spinach
Cut tomato
Shredded Ham
Green Olives

Other suggested ingredients: Pizza sauce, mushrooms, fresh herbs, feta cheese, roast pumpkin, kalamata olives, salami, roast chicken, smoked chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F)

Cut the top out of a bread roll and hollow out.

Fill with your chosen ingredients. Stuff them in really well until it's completely full.

Pop the top of the bread roll back on and then into the oven for 10-15 minutes* or until the cheese has melted inside and the roll is crispy and browned on the outside.

*As all ovens are a bit different, keep an eye on your stuffed pizza rolls and cook for shorter or longer as needed.

Enjoy!

Here are some more Recipe ideas of ours you may want to try with the kids: