Okay, let’s be honest. There’s only so many grilled cheeses you can make before your kids start getting tired of them. Actually, that’s not quite true. Children never get tired of grilled cheese—and to tell you the truth, neither do I.
But if you’re anything like me, sometimes you just resort to easy recipes like grilled cheese and quesadillas because other food options require a level of expertise that’s just … a lot of work. And it doesn’t help that those online recipes are often just paragraphs upon paragraphs of text. And how am I supposed to know if I’m folding, whisking, sautéing, kneading or poaching correctly?
That’s where YouTube cooking channels can come in handy as they lead you through the process in video format, showing you how your food project should look and guiding you step-by-step through the work. Suddenly, you’re making fancy and flavorful foods that you would’ve never thought possible!
But I’m not writing this blog just because cooking is a guilty pleasure of mine—that’s a fringe benefit. I know that if there’s anything people will bond over, it’s food. Perhaps you want to learn new recipes to impress your family? Or maybe you want to make memories with your children by cooking these recipes with them!
Either way, I’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of five family-friendly YouTubers—each with his or her own unique style—that parents can be confident will be tasteful both in the video and on the plate.
Emma’s Goodies
Link: https://www.youtube.com/c/emmasgoodies/featured
Subscriber Count: 2.15 million
Unique Twist: For those looking for a good starting place, Emma’s Goodies provides a great first step into making delicious treats.
Emma’s Goodies is perhaps the best baking channel for those looking for something quick and easy to make. The channel specializes in recipes that take minutes to create, don’t require any uncommon kitchen appliances and require very few ingredients. Whether it’s three-ingredient churros, five-minute no-oven-or-yeast pizza or the easiest cookies to make for the holiday season, Emma’s Goodies consistently provides recipes that only take minutes to accomplish and require as few ingredients as possible, proving that creating delicious food doesn’t have to destroy your financial budget. Because of the simplicity of her recipes, the majority of Emma’s videos are under five minutes.
Qiong Cooking
Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-vnob3MbVlgzFK6iFWnQaw
Subscriber Count: 987,000
Unique Twist: For those looking for a foreign bread-based channel who prefer to dive into the recipe without any talking, Qiong Cooking provides just such a venue.
There’s no dialogue at all here. Instead, the channel opts to explain everything over captions while peaceful music and kitchen noises sound in the background. But Qiong Cooking also has a specific specialty beyond that: Its recipes are primarily based around bread. These recipes range from foreign treats to popular pizzas, so whether you want something new or traditional, Qiong Cooking provides helpful guidance. Whether it’s custard buns, pancakes or egg tarts, the channel aims to provide viewers with a variety of easy-to-follow bread recipes. (If the idea of a no-talking channel interests you, but you want to make more than bread, check out The Cooking Foodie further below.)
Kitchen Sanctuary
Link: https://www.youtube.com/c/Kitchensanctuary/featured
Subscriber Count: 268,000
Unique Twist: For those frustrated by needing to convert measurements on the fly when consulting recipes, Nicky’s channel Kitchen Sanctuary preemptively converts it for you on this dinner and dessert-based channel.
One of my greatest grievances is that I don’t have a scale to measure grams. It seems like every recipe calls for at least one measurement in grams. With Kitchen Sanctuary, a channel that specializes in hearty dinners, that’s not an issue, as Nicky provides the equivalent measurement for most of her recipes. Thanks to Nicky, I don’t need Google to find out that 230 grams is about a cup and two tablespoons, and I don’t need to discover that 480 milliliters is about two cups: she’s done that for me. And that’s a lovely quality-of-life benefit so I don’t need to pause the video for conversions. That said, however, I’m likely to pause her videos anyway, as her dishes–which include fried salmon, tarragon chicken and berry cheesecake–are mouth-watering to look at.
Chef Jean-Pierre
Link: https://www.youtube.com/chefjeanpierre/featured
Subscriber Count: 615,000
Unique Twist: For those looking to learn restaurant-level recipes from an eccentric personality with decades of experience, Chef Jean-Pierre provides exactly what you’re looking for.
Chef Jean-Pierre worked for 54 years as a professional chef, and he has over 20 years of experience in teaching people how to cook. And his videos are free. To be clear, Chef Jean-Pierre will require a lot of ingredients and quite a few more steps than any other channel on this list, but the results are high quality. But that’s not all: Chef Jean-Pierre loves to talk with the viewer as he cooks. While he works, he tells stories, cracks jokes and explains the process behind why he does certain things. As it says on his YouTube channel, “Come learn to cook with Chef Jean-Pierre, making cooking fun for everyone. As Chef Jean-Pierre would say … ‘Even a child could do it!’” So, if you feel up to trying more complex recipes such as cheese-stuffed potatoes, beef wellington or potato bisque, this channel will help you cook with the pros.
The Cooking Foodie
Link: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCookingFoodie
Subscriber Count: 2.34 million
Unique Twist: For those looking for a no-talking channel with a wide range of recipes, The Cooking Foodie fits the bill.
Perhaps you liked the idea of Qiong Cooking’s no-talking channel, but you want to make recipes that don’t focus on bread as much. If that’s the case, The Cooking Foodie fulfills that desire. Like Qiong Cooking, this channel substitutes talkative guidance with music and caption-based instructions. It also takes a similar step as Kitchen Sanctuary by providing multiple measurements for you to follow. Finally, the channel has no defined focus, offering recipes for desserts, dinners, snacks and more. Each video is easy to follow, and with a wide range of recipes, you’ll be sure to find something you want to make.
And there you have it: whether you’re looking for fancy dinners, lovely desserts or just a nice after-school snack, these five online outlets that might help you whip up better meals and, potentially, bond with your kids a little more. Who knows? You might even help them discover a new passion—or at least a better appreciation for your cooking.
Recent Comments