Our kids were thrilled to help out with this mac and cheese dish! There are tons of ways to help.
While your kids are helping out, you can also pause to discuss which FOOD GROUP each ingredient belongs to and share some fun facts about this meal’s featured ingredient: SHELL PASTA
🍴 food groups1 🍴
- Fruits: none
- Veggies: broccoli
- Grains: pasta, bread crumbs
- Protein: ham
- Dairy: milk, cheese
1For information about food and health, go to ChooseMyPlate.gov.
🍴 Shell Pasta 🍴
- Shell pasta is also referred to as conchiglie because its shape resembles a conch shell.
- Shell pasta comes in three sizes: small (conchigliette), medium (conchiglie) and large (conchiglioni). Large shells are often stuffed and baked.
- Shell pasta is a good source of carbohydrates, which give our body energy.
Kids Make Mac and Cheese!
Here are some creative ways for your kid to be your personal Sous Chef as you make our Mac and Cheese Shell Casserole with Ham and Broccoli. Just hover over each image for details. And make sure your little dudes wash their hands before starting!
🍴Pasta🍴
To cook the pasta, kids can:
Bring water to a boil
This teaches kids to pay attention to the stovetop and see what happens to water when it gets that hot. Yay science!
Try Noodles!
Let kids decide if noodles are done. Hungry toddlers love this job!
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🍴Sauce🍴
To make the sauce, kids may:
Melt butter in pot
Add dry ingredients
Stir (or whisk!) together with melted butter.
Measure & pour in cold milk
Remind kids to whisk frequently until lumps go away!
Add cheese to pot
Stir cheese until melted.
We used this 4-cup Pyrex Measuring Cup to measure/pour the milk.
🍴Mac and Cheese Casserole🍴
To assemble and bake the casserole, kids may:
Set oven to broil
Add noodles, broccoli and ham to cheese sauce
Kids will love mixing together these colorful ingredients!
Pour mixture into casserole dish
Grown-ups may need to help with this task!
Sprinkle dish with bread crumbs and remaining cheese
Now your casserole is ready to go in the oven!
*Note: For toddlers especially, these tasks require adult supervision and/or assistance, as items may be sharp, hot or otherwise dangerous.
Back to Mac and Cheese Shell Casserole with Ham and Broccoli Recipe
