If you have kids, there’s a pretty high chance you have your hands full. In this day and age you’ve got so much to manage between school, work, extra-curricular activities, and finding family time. Sometimes it can get really difficult to find extra hours in your already very busy day to cook wholesome food that everyone will enjoy.

Well, we’ve got great news for you! The Cocina-Mazola® super-team is here to help with three brand new, simple recipes. Feed your family with newfound confidence knowing you're about to put your kids’ new favorite meal down on the table!

Baked Plantain and Veggie Chips

Fresh Plantain - Photo by Marco Verch

Kids love to snack, especially if that snack is chips! Thanks to Mazola® Corn Oil, these baked chips are a more wholesome recipe than most bags of fried chips you buy at the store. It’s also a recipe that your kids can help make because it’s super simple! You can double or triple the recipe to make a big batch that will be a great addition to their lunchbox or an awesome after-school snack all week long.

SERVINGS: 6

TIME: 45 minutes

2 ½ tbsp Mazola® Corn Oil

1 Sweet potato

1 Plantain, green

2 Carrots

1 Parsnip

2 Zucchinis

1 tsp Paprika

1 tbsp Salt, fine

Begin by preheating your oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel and slice your vegetables and plantains super thin. Use a mandoline if you have one. Place everything into a large mixing bowl.

This is where the kids can help! Into the mixing bowl, add your oil and spices. Have them mix everything together gently with their hands.

Place each slice onto the baking sheet in one even layer. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Pull them out to check and rotate before returning them to the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until crispy.

Remove chips from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Enjoy!

Choripan Muffins

Choripan Bites

This is our Latin spin on a classic American dish that every kid loves - Corn Dogs! Every cornbread muffin has a little sausage surprise in the center. With the help of Mazola® Corn Oil, our favorite oil for baking, they are ready in under 30 minutes. Top the muffins with fresh chimichurri for a kid-friendly version of an Argentinian favorite that even the picky eater in your family is sure to love!

SERVINGS: 24 muffins

TIME: 30 minutes

For the Cornbread

1 cup All-purpose flour

1 cup Yellow cornmeal

3 1/2 tsp Baking powder

2/3 cup Sugar

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup Mazola® Corn Oil

1 Egg

1 cup Milk

6 Salchichas or hot-dogs, each cut into 4 pieces

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Prepare your mini-muffin tin by brushing it with some drops of Mazola® Corn Oil. Set aside.

Combine all your dry ingredients into your mixer or a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix them all together evenly.

Make a small well at the center of your dry ingredients and add your wet ingredients. Stir or mix until the ingredients all come together. Unlike a cake, it’s OK to have a few lumps remaining so be careful not to overmix the batter.

Spoon the cornbread batter into the mini-muffin tin. Add a piece of hot dog to the center of each muffin and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until done.

While the muffins are baking you can whip together your chimichurri. See below for the step-by-step recipe.

After baking allow the tin to cool on a dry dish rag on the counter. Once cooled, carefully remove the muffins from the tin and serve with chimichurri.

For the Chimichurri

1 cup Parsley, thinly chopped

1 Shallot, thinly chopped

4 Garlic cloves, thinly chopped

1/2 tsp. Red pepper flakes

2 tsp. Red wine vinegar

3 tbsp. Mazola® Corn Oil

Salt & pepper

Combine ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in the fridge.

Homemade Arepas

Reina Pepiada Arepas

This is a great recipe to get the kids in the kitchen with you. Shaping the arepa is a super fun way for them to offer a helping hand. Thanks to the high smoke-point of Mazola® Corn Oil, you’ll have stress-free, perfectly cooked arepas that are slightly crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

We like to do an arepa table with our families, sort of like a taco night. We’ll put out lots of different fillings and condiments to choose from. That way we don’t have to worry about all the picky kids since they can mix and match to make their own favorite flavor combo. Plus it’s super fun for us all to sit around the table passing plates and sharing stories from our day.

Maybe best of all, arepas are super budget friendly, calling for only 2 ingredients besides salt and water! Combine everything that’s great about arepas and you have the ideal kid-friendly dinner recipe.

SERVINGS: 16 arepas

TIME: 30 minutes

4 cups White corn meal

5 cups Water, lukewarm

2 tsp Salt

½ cup Mazola® Corn Oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine your water and salt. Add the cornmeal little by little using your fingers to mix the ingredients together. Keep adding the cornmeal until you have a moist dough that is pliable.

This is every kid’s favorite part! Grab a handful of the dough and roll it around in your hands until it’s a smooth ball. Slowly and gently pat the ball until it forms an evenly flat patty, just under ½” thickness.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large flat pan over medium-high heat. Cook 2-3 patties at a time on both sides for about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel when done.

Repeat step 3 until all patties are cooked.

After slightly cooling, slice into the Arepa lengthwise without cutting all the way through to the other side so you have a pocket for the filling like pita bread. Serve immediately.

For the fillings, feel free to use anything you’d like! It’s fun to get creative with different ideas. If you’re looking for a little more guidance or just some kitchen inspiration, we recommend some of the following fillings:

Chicken Salad - You can make this with store-bought rotisserie chicken to save you time. Just shred the chicken and mix it with some yogurt or mayonnaise and spices.

Black Beans - Saute cooked beans with some onion and mix with cilantro and sour cream for extra flavor.

Ground Beef - Mix it up in a pan with a bit of Mazola® Corn Oil and your favorite sazón.

Egg and Cheese - A fantastic idea for repurposing the leftovers for a hearty breakfast the next day! You can also add some chorizo for a little kick.

Guacamole - Such a great addition to any arepa you make!

This article is brought to you by Mazola® Corn Oil.

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