Kitchen Classroom 2021: Week 9

Welcome to week 9 of Kitchen Classroom 2021, where America’s Test Kitchen Kids is sharing a weekly kid-tested and kid-approved recipe, hands-on experiment, or activity paired with a “Learning Moment” that brings learning to life in the kitchen.

This week for Kitchen Classroom, turn over weekend breakfast duties to the kids with Kids Cook Breakfast! Easy to make and almost endlessly customizable, omelets are a great breakfast (or breakfast-for-dinner!) for kids to make for the whole family. In our Make It Your Way: Omelets activity, kids can put together different combinations of creative fillings and cook each omelet to order. This way, each family member gets an omelet filled with what they like best. Kids can practice their math skills with combinations and multiplication in this week’s Learning Moment, and the whole family can try their hand at deciphering some breakfast-themed diner lingo while they’re gathered at the table.

Don’t forget to share what your family makes by tagging @testkitchenkids or using #ATKkids on Instagram, or by sending photos to kids@americastestkitchen.com. Visit the America’s Test Kitchen Kids website for more culinary content designed especially for kids, plus all of the Kitchen Classroom content in one easy-to-scan location.

Here’s what’s cooking for the week of March 1st through 7th, 2021.

This simple omelet recipe serves as a great base for a variety of fillings, so everyone in the family can get their omelet just the way they like it. To keep the recipe moving smoothly, encourage kids to get all of the ingredients for each omelet ready before they start cooking. A nonstick skillet is essential to make an “eggscellent” omelet. To round out breakfast, kids can serve these omelets with toast, fresh fruit, and/or juice.
[GET THE ACTIVITY]

What You’ll Need
For each omelet:
2 large eggs
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Fillings (see the activity page for some filling ideas)

Learning Moment
Math (Combinations):
Before they start cooking, have your young chef look in the pantry and fridge for omelet filling options. They can look for different cheeses, veggies, herbs, and meats (see the activity for a list of specific ideas). Encourage them to think about leftovers they could repurpose, too. Is there taco filling leftover from dinner the other night? Cooked broccoli florets? Is there a half-full jar of sun-dried tomatoes just waiting to get used? Once they’ve considered all their filling options, kids can write out a menu of omelet fillings for family members to choose from.

If they’re feeling creative, have kids name a few omelet options. For example, an omelet loaded with green vegetables and herbs could be the Green Machine. If they’ve got some of their favorite taco toppings on their list of fillings, why not create a Totally Not a Taco Omelet? After making their menu of a la carte filling options and predetermined combinations, kids can take orders from the rest of the family. Kids should keep in mind that their omelets can include up to ¼ cup (or 4 tablespoons) total of fillings. Each omelet can use just one filling or a combination of two or more. (Note that herbs pack a lot of flavor, so it’s best to use a tablespoon or less of herbs in each omelet.)

After enjoying their omelet, challenge kids to solve a math problem. Have kids imagine that they would like to make omelets with 2 fillings: 1 cheese plus 1 additional filling. Then, imagine that they have 3 different kinds of cheese for their omelets: shredded cheddar, crumbled feta, and sliced American. Based on the number of non-cheese fillings that were available on their menu, ask kids to figure out how many different omelets they could make. They can make a chart like the one below to figure it out. They can add their fillings to the left-hand column, and their 3 cheese options to the top row:

In this case, there were 3 cheeses and 5 additional fillings choices, which makes 15 different 2-filling omelet combinations. Share with kids that if you multiply the number of cheeses by the number of additional fillings, you can find the answer without making a chart (3 x 5 = 15). How many combinations are possible if they added a fourth cheese option?

Take It Further
Trivia (General Knowledge):
As you enjoy your omelets for breakfast as a family, try out this trivia game! Share with kids that when you go to a diner (where you might order an omelet!), the servers have special words and phrases they use to tell the cooks what people have ordered. It’s called “diner lingo.” Challenge family members to identify the meaning of the diner lingo below. Who will prove they’re ready to step behind the griddle as a short-order cook?

1. “Moo juice”
     a. Butter
     b. Milk
     c. Toast

2. “Cluck and grunt”
     a. Two eggs, sunny side up
     b. Eggs and bacon
     c. Eggs

3. “Cowboy with spurs”
     a. Bottle of ketchup
     b. Eggs and bacon
     c. Western omelet with french fries

4. “Burn the British”
     a. Toast
     b. Toasted English muffin
     c. Western omelet with french fries

5. “Nervous pudding”
     a. Jell-O
     b. Eggs
     c. Two eggs, sunny side up

6. “Cow paste”
     a. Butter
     b. Toasted English muffin
     c. Eggs and bacon

7. “Hen fruit”
     a. Two eggs, sunny side up
     b. Western omelet with french fries
     c. Eggs

8. “Fry two, let the sun shine”
     a. Two eggs, sunny side up
     b. Jell-O
     c. Toasted English Muffin

9. “Lighthouse”
     a. Add chocolate syrup
     b. Bottle of ketchup
     c. Butter

10. “Raft”
     a. Milk
     b. Toasted English muffin
     c. Toast

11. “Throw it in the mud”
     a. Bottle of ketchup
     b. Add chocolate syrup
     c. Butter

Answer key: 1. B., 2. B., 3. C., 4. B., 5. A., 6. A., 7. C., 8. A., 9. B., 10. C., 11. B.

Catching up on Kitchen Classroom? Find previous weeks using the links below:

• Kitchen Classroom 2021: Week 8
• Kitchen Classroom 2021: Week 7
• Kitchen Classroom 2021: Week 6
• Kitchen Classroom 2021: Week 5
• Kitchen Classroom 2021: Week 4