I was recently asked with a group of other bloggers to share details of my daughters favourite meal. Something which we make from scratch for our daughter that she loves every time. Something that, in theory, could inspire other Mums and Dads in the kitchen. The mere suggestion of this is enough to make me recoil into my shell – as my regular readers will know Erin’s eating habits are … unique to say the least. 

Despite her picky eating, there is one meal however that instantly springs to mind. One which despite its apparent simplicity has a number of technical hurdles where a mum like me can fall down. The classic, yet understated mealtime masterpiece. The work of art that is…. the cheese sandwich. 

Get it right and your child will demolish said sandwich and ask for more. Get it wrong, and you will be feeding said sandwich to the dog, or finding grated cheese on your carpet until the following Tuesday. 

For this masterpiece you will need:- 

  • Bread. Specifically Warburtons. It must be white, must be fresh, and must have an adequate ‘crust to squidgy middle’ ratio. 
  • Butter – specifically Lurpak spreadable and NOT under any circumstances ‘I Cant Believe its Not Butter ‘- it turns out that this 4 year old can believe that it is indeed not butter, and will turn her nose up at the prospect.   
  • Cheddar Cheese – grated, not sliced. If you are feeling particularly adventurous in the kitchen, the pre grated variety is preferred. Must be Mild.  
  • Character plate – ideally featuring Frozen but Paw Patrol or Trolls will do at a push.

As explained above, perfecting this mealtime masterpiece takes time and attention to detail. Do not worry if you don’t get it right first time, practice really does make perfect.

  1. Remove two rounds of bread from the loaf and ensure there are no visible marks, grains or inconsistencies in thickness or colour, as these will get rejected by quality control. Check for a good level of squidginess. 
  2. Leave butter out for 5 minutes prior to application to ensure maximum spreadableness. Ensure butter is spread right to the edges to avoid any bread remaining dry. Failure to do this could have catastrophic results. 
  3. Remove grated cheese from the packet and lightly sprinkle to coat the entire slice of bread. Ideally Erin prefers to observe and oversee this process to ensure it is followed correctly.
  4. Apply top layer of bread to the sandwich and squish – ever so slightly. NOT TOO MUCH, or you will need to start from scratch. This is a fine art but can be refined with practice. 
  5. Cut into quarters. This bit is VERY important. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you cut diagonally. Quarters should be square and of equal size and shape. The crusts, somewhat surprisingly, can stay, so long as step 1 above has been carried out effectively. 
  6. Carefully transition the finished sandwich to the Frozen character plate, avoiding cheese loss where ever possible. Ensure each sandwich quarter does not touch any other, for fear of contamination. 
  7. Serve and revel in glee at the yummy noises your child makes consuming your finished masterpiece.  

And there you have it. A low budget, low maintenance dish guaranteed to please every time, with only a small associated risk of ‘cheese before bed’ nightmares. 

I jest, but this is the reality of living with a picky eater. And the younger one? Well she gags at the prospect of a piece of cheese, so mealtimes are ALL the joys in this house!!

If you want some more serious inspiration for your children’s dinners, I suggest you check out my fellow bloggers recipes below. Unlike me, they appear to have mastered an effective family meal that their child will actually eat voluntarily – always a winner!! 

What’s your child’s favourite dinner? 

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