If the children in your house, in family and friend circles are fussy eaters, there is one sure ingredient that will get them to eat their meals and snacks to fill up their bellies: cheese. Grated or melted cheese is a mouthwatering treat for most kids who enjoy generous helpings of this healthy fat on chapatis, toast, dosas and even in crisps and sides. Kids gorging on a cheese dabeli or cheese toast is all about giving them delicious treats to indulge once in a while. Sometimes, having a cube of cheese while doing homework or at playtime can also boost energy because of the protein and fat content in this dairy product.
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Most often than not, cheese can be used to whip up some delicious kid-friendly snacks for afternoon hunger pangs. When the kids return home from school, serving up a plate of cheese nuggets will not only put a smile on their faces but also fill them up enough to allow for a light dinner on such indulgent days. Read on below for some delicious cheesy dishes that are mouthwatering options for kids' meals:
Cheese Pasta
If it is cheat day, boil some pasta and mix it in some delicious and creamy cheese sauce for a cheesy overload. Lightly seasoned with white pepper and salt, this is a mild dish that will avoid excess spice on a kid's plate. Serve the pasta hot and make the sauce with different good quality cheeses including cheddar and parmesan.
Cheese Dabeli
Making a dabeli at home is rather easy especially now that dabeli masalas are readily available in the supermarket. Adjust the spice levels in the stuffing and while filling it in pav, add some grated cheese to make a sumptuous cheese dabeli. Be sure to mix spiced peanuts and sev for a proper imitation of the street food.
Cheese Dosa
When you ladle dosa onto the pan, along with a drizzle of oil, also sprinkle some grated cheese. Let the cheese melt lightly on the wafer-thin surface of the pancake before flipping it and warming it up slightly on the cheesy side. Flip again and fold in half before serving with coconut chutney.
Cheese Omelette
Get kids to eat their eggs with this tasty and simple recipe. Cheese omelette is a crowd favourite and a good quality cheese enhances the flavour of this simple dish. Use cheddar or a stringy mozzarella and lather it over the whipped egg sizzling in the pan. Serve with a light sprinkling of black pepper, salt and a piece of toast.
Cheese Sticks
A delicious crisp or munching, cheese sticks can be found in the bakery in packets that contain long, crispy straw-like snacks that kids can munch on at tea time. Another variation of the cheese sticks is to simply deep fry mozzarella or processed cheese coated in rice flour and bread crumbs for a crispy fried fritter to be enjoyed with chocolate milk at tea time.
Cheese And Potato Poppers
This is a crowd pleaser at any kids' birthday party. Lightly spiced with red chilli flakes and some pepper, cheese and potato poppers are easy to make at home and can be served with a side of ketchup as a delicious munching. In fact, kids can participate in the process of making these poppers by helping out in mashing potatoes.
Cheese Garlic Bread
On indulgent days, serve up a portion of cheese garlic bread as an afternoon snack that can be devoured by young adults and kids alike. Dipped in some mayo or tomato ketchup, the classic pairing of warm, baked, melted cheese and garlic bread is a lip-smacking treat for the young ones.
Cheese Nuggets
This is not only a kid favourite but a family favourite munching, across age groups! Deep fried cheesy nuggets are easy to make at home, crispened to a perfect golden brown. You can also add some shredded chicken to this recipe to make cheesy chicken nuggets and serve with a mint mayo dip for some enhanced flavour.
Cheese Corn Frankie
An excellent breakfast or afternoon snack staple, cheese corn frankie is easy to make at home. Lather some leftover chapati in ketchup and a stuffing of boiled masala corn and grated cheese. Put this open chapati on the pan and toast it in butter. Fold the chapati into a roll as it begins to turn crisp and serve hot.
Cheese Chilli Toast
If kids are ok with a bit of a spicy kick in their snacks, serve them some cheese chilli toast. You can substitute the green chillies with chopped capsicum to regulate the heat in the dish. Be generous with grated cheese and use a mix of quality mozzarella and cheddar for an absolutely creamy and cheesy snack dish.