Food and Recipes Kitchen Assistant 29 Classic Southern Recipes You Should Teach Your Kids By Southern Living Editors Updated on July 30, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Food Styling: Angella Sellers and Vanessa McNiel Rocchio; Prop Styling: Melanie J. Clarke and Sissy Lamerton Now is the perfect time to get in the kitchen for lessons that will last a lifetime. These recipes are all designed to kick-start your kids' Southern cooking skills, beginning with the fundamentals: a good pound cake, go-to chocolate chip cookies, and baby's first fried chicken (i.e. homemade chicken tenders). Let your kids get their hands (and your kitchen) a little messy, and we guarantee you'll see the payoff for many years to come. 01 of 29 All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Do you remember making chocolate chip cookies with your mom? Of course you do. Let's keep the tradition going with one of our most popular cookies of all time. Let your little ones make it their own by giving them a choice of one of our flavorful riffs: Chocolate Chip-Pretzel, Cranberry-White Chocolate, White Chocolate-Covered Pretzel, Almond-Toffee, Caramel Turtle, or Nutty Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip. 02 of 29 Southern-Style Lemonade Ralph Anderson Recipe: Southern-Style Lemonade Every Southern kid needs a good lemonade recipe for their summertime stand. This isn't so much a recipe, as a suggestion of where to start—after all, the best kind of lemonade recipes are the ones that call for splashes and pinches, rather than tablespoons and measuring cups. 03 of 29 Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans Greg DuPree Recipe: Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans Little ones love chicken tenders, but you know what they'll love even more? Making their own. They'll love the messy (but fun!) process of dredging the chicken in a buttermilk mixture and then in a crispy breadcrumb mixture before the adults pop them in the skillet. 04 of 29 Mississippi Mud Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Recipe: Mississippi Mud Cake Give your children the gift of never being at a loss for what to bring. If Mississippi Mud Cake is one thing, it's always just the right accompaniment for whatever is on the menu. Let older kids coat the top in marshmallows, taking care not touch the hot pan. 05 of 29 Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe: Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Another childhood favorite (that we never did quite outgrow) makes for a fun kitchen lesson. Bigger kids make the ideal cheese graters, and little ones are the perfect taste testers. This recipe is easy as can be—the ideal starter lesson for novice chefs. Skip the ground red pepper if your kids are averse to spice. 06 of 29 Birthday Cake Ice Cream Recipe: Birthday Cake Ice Cream Let little (clean) hands get a bit messy with this hands-on recipe. It'll take just shy of 6 hours from start to finish, but when it's finally ready for a dash of sprinkles on top, they'll realize it was quite worth the effort. 07 of 29 Muddy Buddy Mix Recipe: Muddy Buddy Mix Grab your little buddy and toss up a batch of this crave-able chocolate and peanut butter snack mix. Chocolate chips, creamy peanut butter, rice cereal squares, powdered sugar, and cocoa are a match made in heaven. 08 of 29 Wacky Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Wacky Cake The best part about this cake is that it's all made in one pan. No mixing bowls, no stand mixers. It comes together with just 15 minutes of hands-on time. It's gooey, chocolatey goodness in every single bite. For burgeoning chefs, instant gratification will go a long way. 09 of 29 Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce While not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when mulling over the Southern classics, a good meatball recipe will go a long way—both in life and for morale. There's something about those comforting ingredients all melded together to create something delicious that really stirs our souls. Give each child a pair of disposable kitchen gloves and let them roll out the meatballs one by one. We love that this recipe calls on a slow cooker for most of the heavy lifting. 10 of 29 Chocolate Monkey Bread Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Recipe: Chocolate Monkey Bread Let the kids roll the dough in the sugary mix and plop each piece in the Bundt pan. They'll enjoy picking it apart just as much as they enjoyed putting it together. 11 of 29 Fire Crackers Recipe: Fire Crackers It doesn't get any easier than this. Just make sure your kiddos like a little heat—these pop-able snacks aren't for the faint of palate. 12 of 29 No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies They're a cross between oatmeal cookies and pralines—but way easier than they should be for that type of flavor payoff. They should have an oatmeal or grits-like consistency when you drop them on the wax paper. If they're too thin, return to the pan and add a bit more oatmeal over low heat. Lesson: If at first you don't succeed… 13 of 29 Southern Skillet Cornbread Southern Living Recipe: Southern Skillet Cornbread Mamas, don't let your babies grow up without teaching them how to make cornbread. This savory version is a good place to start. 14 of 29 Master Pickle Brine Anna Theoktisto Recipe: Master Pickle Brine One of the easiest recipes you can teach your kids is a simple pickle brine. This one only calls on four ingredients and 20 minutes of hands-on time. 15 of 29 Lemon-Lime Pound Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Lemon-Lime Pound Cake A good pound cake is a must in every Southerner's repertoire. This one uses zippy citrus flavors to take it over the top. Kids will get a kick out of using their favorite lemon-lime soft drink as the secret ingredient. 16 of 29 Cowboy Casserole Micah A. Leal Recipe: Cowboy Casserole Of course, we had to include a casserole. This one calls on a favorite finger food of the pint-sized set: tater tots. 17 of 29 Banana Bread Southern Living Recipe: Banana Bread Everyone needs a good banana bread to claim as their secret family recipe—this can be yours. And trust us, it's worth passing down. Serve warm with a pat of butter. 18 of 29 Our Favorite Buttermilk Biscuit Will Dickey Recipe: Our Favorite Buttermilk Biscuit Buttermilk biscuits are a staple in the Southern home, and this three-ingredient recipe is easy enough for the kids to get the hang of the art of making them. Because it's so delicious, though, they'll continue to turn to this recipe year after year. 19 of 29 Red, White, and Blue Popsicles Jennifer Causey Recipe: Red, White, and Blue Popsicles Who doesn't remember summer days on the sidewalk, waiting to hear the distant hum of the ice cream truck's song? This season, spend a weekend afternoon making these nostalgic red, white, and blue popsicles together from your own kitchen. Since each layer has to set for a bit in the freezer, it's a good time for a lesson on patience, too. 20 of 29 Quesadillas al Pastor Skyler Burt Recipe: Quesadillas al Pastor The kids love to order quesadillas when you're out to dinner at your go-to Mexican spot, so why not try them out at home? Let the kids mix together the ingredients and stack them on the tortillas before you pop them in the skillet. 21 of 29 Easy Homemade Pancakes Tjahjono Soekardjk Recipe: Easy Homemade Pancakes Saturday morning pancakes are one of the kids' favorite traditions, so why not get them involved in the prep work? Bonus: A condiment squeeze bottle filled with pancake batter allows them to create their pancakes in whatever shapes they please! 22 of 29 Triple Chocolate Milkshake Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Triple Chocolate Milkshake You might not need a recipe for chocolate milkshakes, but may we introduce you to ours regardless? With chocolate ice cream, chocolate milk, and chocolate syrup, it packs a triple punch of chocolate goodness that tiny ones will go crazy over. This is a great time to teach them how to make homemade whipped cream for topping, too. 23 of 29 Ham Delights Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Ham Delights A batch of ham-and-cheese sliders on King's Hawaiian Rolls is an expected attendant at many Southern gatherings, so it's a great recipe to show the kids how to prepare. Plus, these Ham Delights make wonderful lunch box additions or beach snacks. 24 of 29 Crispy Cereal-and-Berry Bars Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Crispy Cereal-and-Berry Bars Trust us: These colorful treats are so much better than store-bought crispy cereal bars. Freeze-dried strawberries and blueberries add a colorful, fruity twist to the classic confection. Little ones would be delighted to have these as an after-school snack, but getting to make them with their own hands is something you'll all cherish together. 25 of 29 Bacon Bites Oxmoor House Recipe: Bacon Bites This sweet-and-salty snack is as much fun to make as it is to eat! You need just three ingredients, and the little ones will have a ball wrapping bacon slices around thin breadsticks and then rolling them in brown sugar. This recipe is so simple and delicious, they just might remember it until they're hosting their own get-togethers. 26 of 29 BBQ Chicken Pizza Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Recipe: BBQ Chicken Pizza Ordering pizza is a Friday night pastime that pairs perfectly with watching a movie, but making it yourself offers an engaging way to spend time together. Don't worry: You won't be watching yeast bloom and dough rise; this recipe comes together with store-bought helpers like pizza dough from the bakery, bottled barbecue sauce, and rotisserie chicken. Everyone will look forward to Friday night even more than before! 27 of 29 Trail Mix Bites Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Montiel Recipe: Trail Mix Bites Not only are these Trail Mix Bites a perfect not-too-sweet recipe to add to lunch boxes, but they're also easy enough for tiny hands to help you make. But if you don't believe us, take it straight from one five-star reviewer: "Really simple and great recipe. My daughter loved making it with me. The perfect sweet treat for lunches!" We suggest putting together a batch on Sunday so you can snack on them all week! 28 of 29 Pulled Pork Nachos Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Pulled Pork Nachos The kids get to let their creativity shine with this easy sheet pan nachos recipe that will be their favorite dinner all week. We suggest they stack up toppings like refried beans, pepper Jack cheese, fresh corn, avocado, tomatoes, and more, but feel free to swap for whatever you have on hand.. Since it starts with shredded smoked pork picked up from your favorite barbecue spot, the only "cooking" this recipe requires is a quick sit in the oven to melt the cheese on top. The best part? Lining your sheet pan with aluminum foil before the nacho layering fest commences will ensure easy cleanup later. 29 of 29 Red Velvet Cake Balls Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Balls What do you think the kids would have more fun doing—icing a red velvet layer cake or crumbling up an entire baked cake with their (clean!) hands? We think you know the answer. Not only do these adorably sweet bites start with a crumbled-up cake, but then the kids will get to form it into balls, dip those into white chocolate, and top them with as many sprinkles as they like. Sounds like the perfect weekend project to us! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit