My daughter is in sixth grade. Slumber parties have been the highlight of her world for about a year and a half now. She and her friend’s are constantly chatting about the last slumber party or plotting the next one.
Pizza for dinner and cereal for breakfast are the foods most frequently served at slumber parties. I’ve relied on these easy standards plenty of times myself. However, with a tiny bit of extra energy and effort there are are yummier, healthier and more interesting options to serve. Here are some ideas for slumber party food that goes beyond pizza and cereal.
Dinner
Walking Tacos: Purchase snack size bags of corn chips, such as Fritos and Doritos. Put out taco fixings, such as seasoned ground beef, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and salsa. Kids add the fixings to their bag of chips and then eat it out of the bag with a fork. It’s fun, saves dishes and is neater to eat than typical tacos or burritos. My daughter and her friends like to crush the chips in the bag before filling them.
DIY Pizza: You can’t go wrong with pizza. Letting kids make it themselves turns dinnertime into an activity. We use round pitas as the crust. Set out a variety of toppings, such as cheeses, small pieces of meat and veggies. Each girl creates her own individual pizza, then simply put them in the oven until the cheese melts. My daughter loves a blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses with tomato sauce, turkey pepperoni and pineapple. I always make myself one as well. I love pesto sauce, feta cheese and artichoke hearts on a whole wheat pita.
Salad Bar: It’s amazing how much vegetables my daughter and her friends consume when they are encouraged to make their own salads! I put out lettuce, plus several small bowls containing veggies, fruit, meat, cheese and nuts. I offer a choice of two or three salad dressings. I serve flavored sparkling water with this to up the sophistication factor, since the girls have told me this meal makes them feel grownup.
Toaster Oven S’mores: You don’t need a campfire to enjoy s’mores! Top graham crackers with chocolate and marshmallows. Broil in the toaster oven until the marshmallows are golden and gooey. Top with another marshmallow and enjoy! I give each girl a damp paper towel with this sticky treat.
Fruit Dippers: Arrange slices of fruit on a platter. Put a bowl of yogurt in the middle. Give each girl a skewer to dip her fruit with, if desired. My daughter and her friends gobble anything up if it is on a stick and there is something to dip it in.
Breakfast
Omelets in a Bag: Put a pot of water on to boil. Have each girl write her name on a microwave safe plastic steaming bag with marker. Crack two eggs into each bag. Let the girls add their choice of toppings you set out, such as cheese, ham chunks or veggies. They then seal their bags (help them to make sure they are secure) and squish all the ingredients together with their hands on the outside of the bags. Put all of the bags in the pot and boil for 11 minutes. You get customized omelets that are all done at the same time.
Yogurt Parfaits: Start with plain or flavored yogurt. Put out a variety of chopped fruit, berries, nuts, granola or cereal. Allow each girl to build her own parfait. My daughter loves it when I let them use fancy, clear cocktail glasses so they can see each layer.
Oatmeal Bar: Make a big batch of oatmeal, either on the stove or in the slow cooker overnight. Girls can then customize it to their liking with fixings you set out, such as brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and walnuts.This is especially comforting on cold mornings. The girls love eating it out of mugs while wrapped up in blankets.
