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Cooking 4 Kids

Girl Scouts • Community Service Project

Simple, affordable meals
for the community.

Recipes mostly centered around 4 ingredients.

Breakfast Lunch Dessert

Breakfast

Bowl of oatmeal

Oatmeal

4 ingredients · Microwave

What You Need

  • ½ cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup milk or water
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • Optional: cinnamon, fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips

What To Do

  1. Combine oats, milk or water, and salt in a large microwave-safe bowl.
  2. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high for 90 seconds to 2 minutes.
  3. Carefully remove with oven mitts and let cool 2–3 minutes.
  4. Add toppings and enjoy!
Fruit and yogurt parfait

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

No cooking · 3 ingredients

What You Need

  • Yogurt (any flavor)
  • Fruit (strawberries, blueberries, etc.)
  • Granola or cereal

What To Do

  1. Spoon yogurt into the bottom of a cup or bowl.
  2. Add a layer of fruit.
  3. Add a layer of granola or cereal.
  4. Repeat layers until full. Eat and enjoy!
Scrambled eggs and toast

Scrambled Eggs and Toast

Stovetop · Classic

What You Need

  • 4–8 eggs
  • 4–8 slices of bread
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cooking spray or a little oil

What To Do

  1. Crack eggs into a bowl, add a splash of milk or water if desired, and whisk well.
  2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray (or add a little oil) and heat over medium-low.
  3. Pour in the eggs and gently scramble with a spatula until cooked through.
  4. Toast the bread and serve together. Optional: ketchup, salsa, or fruit on the side.

Lunch

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Peanut Butter and Jelly

No cooking · Classic

What You Need

  • 2 slices of bread
  • Peanut butter
  • Jelly (any flavor)

What To Do

  1. Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread.
  2. Spread jelly on the other slice.
  3. Put the two slices together and enjoy!
Ham and cheese sandwich

Ham and Cheese

Quick assembly

What You Need

  • 2 slices of bread
  • 2 slices of ham
  • 1–2 slices of cheese
  • Mayonnaise or mustard

What To Do

  1. Spread mayonnaise or mustard on one or both slices of bread.
  2. Layer the ham and cheese.
  3. Close the sandwich and enjoy. Optional: toast the bread first or grill it.
BLT sandwich

BLT Sandwich

Microwave bacon option

What You Need

  • 1–2 slices of bacon
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato
  • Mayonnaise
  • 2 slices of bread

What To Do

  1. Place bacon on a paper-towel-lined microwave-safe plate. Microwave 3–4 minutes, flipping halfway.
  2. While the bacon cooks, slice the tomato and prepare the lettuce.
  3. Spread mayonnaise on both slices of bread.
  4. Layer tomato, lettuce, and bacon. Close the sandwich and enjoy.
Pita pizzas

Pita Pizzas

Oven · Kid-friendly

What You Need

  • 4 pieces of pita bread
  • Pizza sauce
  • Shredded cheese
  • Optional toppings: pepperoni, pineapple, olives, peppers, etc.

What To Do

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Place pitas on a baking sheet and spread with pizza sauce.
  3. Top with cheese and any extra toppings you like.
  4. Bake 10–15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Let cool a few minutes, then enjoy!
Bowl of ramen noodles

Ramen Noodles

Microwave · About 5 minutes

What You Need

  • 1 packet of ramen noodles + seasoning packet
  • Water

What To Do

  1. Place the noodles in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with water.
  2. Microwave 90 seconds, stir, then microwave another 60 seconds.
  3. Carefully remove and stir in the seasoning packet (or drain first if you prefer less liquid).
  4. Optional: add a little butter for extra flavor.

Dessert

Frozen yogurt or juice pops

Frozen Yogurt or Juice Pops

Freezer · No cooking

What You Need

  • Yogurt or juice
  • Popsicle sticks (or plastic spoons / toothpicks)

What To Do

  1. If using individual yogurt cups, insert a stick and freeze 4–6 hours.
  2. Or pour yogurt or juice into an ice cube tray or small cups and freeze.
  3. Run the outside under warm water for a few seconds to release, then enjoy!
Fried apples

Fried Apples

Stovetop · Warm dessert

What You Need

  • 4 apples
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • Cinnamon

What To Do

  1. Core and slice the apples (adult help recommended for younger kids).
  2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add the apples and cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Continue cooking 6–8 minutes until tender and the sauce thickens.
  5. Serve warm. Optional: top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Peanut butter cookies

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Oven · Only 3 ingredients

What You Need

  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg

What To Do

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
  2. Mix peanut butter, sugar, and egg until creamy.
  3. Scoop 1-inch balls onto the sheet and flatten with a fork (a criss-cross pattern looks nice).
  4. Bake 8–10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes before removing.
Cinnamon sugar tortillas

Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas

Oven · Crispy treat

What You Need

  • 4 tortillas
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

What To Do

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.
  3. Brush the tortillas with melted butter, then sprinkle generously with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  4. Bake 8–10 minutes until brown and crisp. Cool a few minutes — they get even crispier as they cool.