Five Simple Recipes for When the Clock’s TikToking

Lots of teenagers have had to sit through tedious lectures or comments from their parents about the time they spend on TikTok. Maybe becoming your family’s personal chef can persuade them to change their minds! Who knows, it could even lead to them making their own accounts. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, here are six amazing TikTok recipes that anyone can make for themselves and their relatives.

Breakfast

Waking up early for school makes it really difficult to eat a good breakfast, but overnight oats are an easy fix. User @kenziejo_clark has a lot of videos on overnight oats, but for a fun, fall vibe, her pumpkin oats are the perfect choice!

In a jar or container with a lid, add ½ cup of pumpkin puree, ½ cup of your milk of choice, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Then add ⅓ cup of raw oats and a little bit of maple syrup, stir, and refrigerate. All you have to do in the morning is heat it up and enjoy!

Lunch

With only a few minutes between Zoom classes, a simple salad makes for a great lunch. User @myhealthydish (yes, the same woman who made the infamous bell pepper sandwich Gordon Ramsay reacted to) boasts many recipes for healthy meals and snacks, making it the perfect page to search for a quick and easy salad recipe.

Portion size for each ingredient is totally up to you, as there are no given measurements, and anything can be added or removed. Start by combining romaine lettuce, spinach, red bell peppers, cucumbers, avocado, grilled chicken, and parmesan cheese in a bowl. In a separate mason jar or container, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey. Close the lid, and shake well. Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss it thoroughly. Congratulations! You’ve made a delicious, five-minute lunch.

Snack

For a more time-intensive but beginner-friendly snack, try focaccia! Focaccia is an Italian bread made from a dough similar to that of pizza. This recipe comes from the user @zaynab_issa, who has a lot of other great cooking videos.

First whisk together 2½ cups of warm water and two teaspoons of honey, along with one packet of yeast (she uses instant yeast in the recipe, but active yeast works just as well). In the same bowl, add five cups of flour and five teaspoons of salt, and combine well. Next add ¼ cup of olive oil to a new bowl, and coat the dough in it before covering with a cloth and letting the dough rise either overnight or for a few hours. Once the dough has had enough time to rise, poke it with two forks, and let it deflate.

As a side note before choosing a pan, the first time I used this recipe, my dish was smaller, making the end result thicker and,in my opinion, better (that said, focaccia varies in thickness and can even be made on a baking sheet). Once the dough is deflated, add one tablespoon of olive oil to an already buttered pan, and pour the dough in, coating it in the oil. Cover the pan with a cloth, and let the dough rise for another hour. Once the hour is up, make sure to preheat the oven to 450℉, and then use your fingers to dimple the dough. This prevents the bread from rising too quickly, and it gives focaccia its signature look. Drizzle more olive oil on top, being careful not to let it pool into the dimples (shallow ones are okay), and then sprinkle it with salt. Put the dish in the oven for 25 minutes, and voila! This focaccia can be used for sandwiches, but I prefer it as a snack with butter, cheese, or tomatoes!

Dinner

For a fancy twist on a classic boxed meal, try user @cookingwithshereen’s recipe for macaroni and cheese!

Start by mixing one tablespoon of melted butter, ½ tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, a pinch of salt, and ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs, which could be substituted with homemade breadcrumbs made from leftover focaccia. Once combined, pour the mixture onto a baking sheet, and toast on 325℉ for five to eight minutes, tossing halfway through. Next mix one egg and ½ cup of half-and-half, and set the bowl aside. Then prepare 1¼ cups of both cheddar and either monterey or pepper jack cheese (in the video, she grates her own cheese, but pre-grated works just fine).

For this recipe, Shereen uses a pressure cooker, so the pasta is prepared slightly differently on a stove. If you’re using a pressure cooker, pour ½ pound macaroni, four cups of water, and salt in all at once, and cook on high for three minutes. For a stovetop, let the water boil before pouring in the pasta, and cook for the brand’s suggested time. Once the pasta is ready, strain and return it to the pot. Now pour in the milk mixture on a warm setting or medium-low heat, and add ¾ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon dry mustard. Stir the mixture for two minutes until the egg has thickened (make sure the heat is low so that the egg doesn't scramble). Add more salt, the cheese, and four tablespoons of cold butter. Stir the pot until the butter has melted, top with the breadcrumbs, serve, and enjoy!

Dessert

For a super simple dessert, try user @abimhn’s recipe for cloud bread! Cloud bread is essentially meringue in cake form, but it has a fun look and is an easy trend to hop on.

First preheat the oven to 300℉, and mix three egg whites in a medium-size bowl until bubbles form at the top. Gradually add four teaspoons of cornstarch and six teaspoons of sugar while whisking, preferably with an electric mixer (it takes a lot of mixing to form peaks). Once stiff peaks form, add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and any food coloring you want, both optional. Scoop the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and use a spatula to shape it. Lastly put it in the oven for about 25 minutes, and let it cool completely before eating!

We’ve learned the TikTok dances, but now it's time to up our game and let TikTok infiltrate mealtime, too—your mom and dad will approve as long as you do the dishes.