Cooking Kids Love Dinosaur Grilled Cheese

“We’re hungry and we’re bored” is a cry that can derail anyone’s day. It’s hard enough to find activities for restless kids, but even harder to find new ways to prepare the three things kids like to eat most – cheese, bread and butter. However, the next time the kids complain about something to do, consider an art project that’s so yummy, everyone will eat it up.

Dinosaur Grilled Cheese is an artistic solution to please a crafty kid and make lunch. With just a few ingredients, a child can turn a common grilled cheese sandwich into a fun lunchtime art project.

Follow eight simple steps and find out where art meets yummy!

What You Need:

Loaf of bread

Butter

Cheddar cheese slices

Food coloring

3 plastic spoons

Cookie cutter – any fun shape

Cutting board

3 small bowls (or cups)

What To Do:

1. Make the canvas!

Place two slices of bread and one slice of cheddar cheese on a cutting board.

2. Cut and assemble!

Select a cookie cutter. Pick a fun shape like a dinosaur, a flower or one with a holiday theme. Use the cookie cutter and press it into each piece of bread and into the slice of cheese. (If you have an extra-large cookie cutter, overlap two pieces of bread or cheese to make the right size.)

3. Leftovers!

You will only need the cutout shapes for the rest of the project. Make a pre-lunch snack out of the leftover pieces.

4. Put the art together!

Stack the cutout shapes like a sandwich with the cheese between the two slices of bread. Set aside.

5. Make the Paint!

Take three small containers – paper cups or cereal bowls – and put a spoonful of soft butter into each one. Add two drops of food coloring to each container. (One color per container.) Use colors that go with the cutout shape. Bright colors work best. Mix the color into the butter.

6. Paint!

Take your sandwich apart. Set one shaped piece of bread, facing the mirror image of the other shaped piece of bread. Use spoons to “paint” or spread the butter onto the top sides of the facing pieces of bread. Go wild! Don’t be afraid to lay it on thick or layer your colors. (You can also use new paintbrushes, plastic knives or even fingers to paint.)

7. Get Cooking!

With an adult helper, heat a frying pan and put the sandwich back together. Make sure that the butter side of the bread is on the outside! Put the shaped sandwich into the pan and grill until cheese melts. (Artwork can also be grilled in a toaster oven for 4 minutes at 300 degrees.)

8. Admire the artwork and eat it up!

Since most cookie cutters make small sandwiches, try several shapes and create a gallery of grilled cheese art.