Cooking with Kids: Shannon Kiley Smith

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Cooking with Kids: Shannon Kiley Smith

Thursday, February 17, 2000

Age: 7

Parents: Gregg and Charlotte Smith

Community: Brookline, but moving to South Fayette Township when the family's new house is completed.

School: She's in second grade at South Fayette Elementary School.

Favorite TV show: "Rug-rats"

Hobbies: Reading; playing with 23-month-old brother, Jordan, and watching cooking shows with her grandma.

What she wants to be when she grows up: A librarian.

Sloppy Joe Bake

Now here's the perfect food family -- everyone pitches in to cook whenever they're needed. Mom Charlotte is often busy after school taking Shannon to and from dance class and theater club, so Grandma Charlotte Wertz, who lives with the family, often gets dinner started. Dad cooks in a pinch.

When everyone's home they all help. Shannon dons her little apron and chef's hat, Jordan provides musical accompaniment by banging spoons on empty pots, Dad lifts lids to peek at coming attractions and Mom directs it all. This recipe is not an original, but it's one of the family's favorites.

1 pound lean ground beef 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce 1/4 cup ketchup 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard 1 cup all-purpose flour 11/2 teaspoons baking powder 2/3 cup milk 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 egg

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Brown beef in skillet over medium heat until cooked through; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup and mustard. Spoon into ungreased 8-inch-square pan.

Stir together flour, baking powder, milk, butter and egg, using a fork, in small bowl until well mixed. Pour over beef mixture and spread evenly. Squirt more ketchup in a zigzag design over top. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until crust is light brown. Makes 6 servings.

Testers note: Our 6-year-old helped make this dish and took particular delight in squirting the ketchup designs. The tasty, filling dish cooked up beautifully with a fluffy, biscuit-like crust. Shannon suggests serving this with potato chips and deli cole slaw, but we opted for steamed cauliflower (it was on sale) and mini ears of corn on the cob (ditto).

The Rainbow Bakery by Gold Medal Flour

To submit a recipe to Cooking with Kids, please send the recipe, along with the name of the child, a head shot (preferably a school picture), and a telephone number where the child can be contacted to: Cooking with Kids, c/o Kelly Burgess, Post-Gazette Food, 34 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh 15222. Questions? Call Kelly at 724-443-2362 or Suzanne Martinson, 412-263-1760.