By Margaret Malsam
Kitchens just naturally attract children. It’s where there are batters to beat, and spoons and bowls to lick and delightful goodies to eat. When kids get an opportunity to put together foods according to their own tastes, they enjoy it even more.
The folks at Colorado-headquartered Red Robin restaurants realized this and have been sponsoring a Kids’ Cook-Off for four years. Jamie Winter, Red Robin’s communications manager, explained that their restaurants offers their guests a variety of gourmet burgers so they decided who would better than kids to create their next gourmet burger offering. Fifty of the top kid-created gourmet burger recipes are selected for the Kids Cookbook, which is available as a free download.
Randi Lenard, 11, from Rifle, was third runner up in last year’s contest with her Chili Lime Chicken Roll creation.
“Besides inventive burger recipes, one of the best things about the cookbook is it also includes important back-to-school safety tips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). There is no better time to talk about back-to-school safety with kids than while doing something fun, like cooking,” said Eric Houseman, company president.
Last year’s grand prizewinner was 10-year-old Emma Potts from Bonney Lake, Wash., who created a Spicy Honey Glazed Bacon Burger. Her recipe (printed below with permission from Red Robin) is included in this cookbook. She received a trip for four to Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. Her winning gourmet burger is sold now through Sept. 12 on the menus in all U.S. Red Robin restaurants. Red Robins donates 50 cents to National Center for Missing & Exploited Children for each winning gourmet burger sold.
Each contestant was asked, “Why my gourmet burger deserves to be served at every participating U.S. Red Robin restaurant?”
The grand prizewinner replied, “My burger is so original that it deserves to be in every Red Robin in the USA! This is a really great burger for people who like sweet and spicy and everything in between.”
Last year the company received more than 11,000 entries. Winners selected from each Red Robin restaurant receive gift cards, and then 10 finalists are flown to Denver to compete in a cooking competition. Food Network’s Robin Miller judges the contest
Kiragan Mercer, 8, from Castle Rock, was a cookbook winner from last year for her Sweet & Sour grilled chicken burger.
The third runner-up from last year’s contest was 11-year-old Randi Lenard from Rifle for her Chili Lime Chicken Roll. She said, “My burger deserves to be in every restaurant because it has common ingredients used in a unique way. The flavors delight your taste buds. When you eat this burger your mouth will be throwing a party.”
Eight-year-old Kiragan Mercer from Castle Rock was a cookbook winner for her Sweet & Sour grilled chicken burger. She said it deserves to be served at every participating Red Robin restaurant because “First, I would be a very good representative for Red Robin. Next, it would be really good. Plus it has a lot of stuff that you already use in your restaurant so you wouldn’t have to spend a lot of money.”
The deadline for kids ages 6 through 12 to enter their favorite burger creation in this year’s Red Robin Cook-Off is Sept. 12. For more information: redrobinkidscookoff.com.
Tips for Cooking with Your Kids
Through this cookbook, parents and guardians are encouraged to spend quality time with their kids cooking together in the kitchen. Below are some helpful Red Robin tips on ways parents and kids can have fun together while staying safer in the kitchen.
• Explain kitchen safety to your child before starting any cooking project.
• Wash your hands with warm water and soap before starting any cooking project.
• Prepare recipes that are kid-friendly. There are many cookbooks available, including this one, with family friendly recipes that your child will be excited to make…and eat!
• Give your child his or her own apron and plastic youth-sized cooking utensils.
• Explain each step in the recipe to your child as you cook so he or she learns what it takes to make a great meal.
• Allow your child to pour ingredients into the bowl or stir the contents so he or she is involved in the cooking process.
• Give your child praise while you cook together.
• Expect some spills! Cooking is fun, but it can be messy!
• Involve your child in the set-up, cooking and clean-up process. Although cooking is fun, it is important to clean up afterwards, too.
