Dinner with Dad

Five Delicious Ways to Celebrate Father's Day

If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, why look any further than the kitchen to give dad a real treat for his big day. Cooking with Dad is the perfect way to spend some quality time together and end up with a feast for the whole family to enjoy. Here are five fantastic ideas that are kid-friendly and dad approved.

Bring on the Burger Fest. Rather than slapping a few frozen patties over the coals, get creative. Together the whole family can help seasoning the ground beef, turkey, pork or chicken and shaping them into patties. While dad works the grill, kids will love breaking out his favorite toppings like blue cheese, bacon and roasted garlic or avocado, sharp cheddar and BBQ sauce. Provide interesting buns made from foccacia bread, sesame rolls or ciabatta for an added bit of wow.

Go Breakfast for Dinner. Jump into your pjs, scramble up the evening and you’ll have dad feeling like a kid again. Teach the kids to crack eggs and whisk together pancake batter, while dad crisps the sausage and bacon just right. Older kids may even be able to flip a pancake or two on their own. Have some fruit on hand to make pancakes into happy faces and you’ll all end this special day smiling.

Make a Personal Pizza Delivery. No need to order in when you can make your own delicious creations. Start with prepared pizza dough or make some yourself. Divide it up into small, medium and large pieces so everyone can produce their own pies. Set out bowls of assorted toppings of sauces, grated cheese, veggies and meats. Remember to go with extra special options like pesto in addition to tomato sauce and crumbled feta cheese as well as mozzarella. Try caramelized onion, roasted peppers and capers to add that special zip.

Get on a Kebab-a-Thon. Cube up dad’s favorite meat, poultry and fish and break out those skewers. School-aged kids can string together their own unique kebabs with colorful vegetables for extra flavor. Here are a few combinations to get you started: Lamb loin with red onion and green peppers; swordfish with yellow peppers and cherry tomatoes; pork tenderloin with chunks of corn on the cob and poblano peppers.

Have a Father's Day Fiesta. Create a taco bar the whole family will love. Have the kids help whisk together a great marinade for pork loin, chicken breasts or flank steak. After a while, dad can man the grill, while the rest of the family creates colorful salsas and toppers. Try roasted corn off the cob combined with black beans and avocados or go with a fruit salsa of mangos, red onions and cilantro. Simple, fresh and delicious—this little party may become an annual tradition.