Mac and Cheese Can Be a Finger Food
I was facing a dilemma. My 15-month-old twins love mac and cheese, but they aren’t what I would call savvy with a spoon and pasta. At dinnertime, it is nice to allow them to feed themselves instead of spooning food into their mouths. They are masters of finger food eating, so I devised a finger food version of mac and cheese.
It proved to be popular, but I must warn you that it is a tad messy. Not as messy as serving up a creamy pile of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, but it is pretty sticky. But seriously, what meal isn’t messy with little eaters?
Mac and Cheese Toddler Finger Food Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of pasta that is easy to pick up
- 2 ounces of crumbled goat cheese
- 2 ounces of grated parmesan cheese
Preparation:
- Boil your pasta. I chose a corkscrew pasta since it’s easy to grip and fun to jiggle. Rotini, large macaroni, or gnocchi would also work well.
- If you will serve it immediately, put the pasta in a colander and rinse with cool water so it isn’t too hot. You want to be sure it remains warm enough to help the cheese get smooth and adhere to the pasta.
- Return to pot or to a mixing bowl and add cheeses.
- Stir vigorously and serve.
The twins loved the mac and cheese and gobbled it up. Their hands, faces, and high chair trays needed a little wipe-down afterwards, but it wasn’t any worse than a lot of finger foods. In fact, since the cheese comes out sticky, that’s definitely better than drippy. The mess was pretty much confined to a few select spots.
It was pretty healthy, especially compared to all the prepackaged baby and toddler meals. I may try using whole wheat pasta next time instead. So for parents out there who like to actually eat their own dinners at dinnertime instead of spoon-feeding baby, this is a great option. You can also find more ideas with this list of healthy finger foods for toddlers. You could also try making your own graham crackers. Check out these toddler munchies and finger food recipes, which include homemade teething biscuits, quesadillas and sweet potato pockets.
