Here’s How to PF Chang’s Your Toddler’s Dinner.
Humor us for a second: lettuce cups–like the kind you would have gotten at a late 90s/early 00s pan-Asian restaurant–are really not all that far fetched of an idea, or dinner plan, for a toddler. It’s just finely chopped up and softened meat that’s coated in a thick and sweet sauce, right–no one would accuse it of being gustatorily ambitious, toddler or not. Swap out that crisp but largely flavorless vegetable often mixed into it–say, water chestnuts or celery–for something soft and cooked down as we have (spoiler: mushrooms and cashews are the stand-ins) and you’ve got the sort of blank canvas for sweet simplicity that is the essence of all great recipes for young children. Because, when you think about it, it’s just a filling, and a filling is something we and your child can work with.
Indeed, this filling is as equally at home in some green leaves as it is enrobed in dough, a tortilla, or even a cracker. Dealer’s choice here: you can serve it as is, or mixed with rice—it’s plenty edible for kids. If you need a vehicle to bring it to your child’s mouth, and your child won’t be put off by the look of it, small pieces of butter lettuce or smaller tortillas–they’re marketed as “street tacos” these days–are your best bet; a thick shroud of carbs (see ‘Adapt’ section below) will be necessary if you’re looking to “hide” and/or your kid may not be interested.
- 1 Scallion
- 6 Shitake or Cremini Mushrooms
- 6 Cashews
- 1/3 lb Ground Turkey
- Hoisin sauce
- 4 pieces empanada dough, puff pastry, egg roll skins, etc.
- 1 Egg
- Dice, dice baby: chop the mushrooms and cashews into small pieces; dice the green portion of the scallion into thin rings.
- If using puff pastry dough, pastry cups, empanada dough, et al., thaw and/or pre-cook per package directions.
- Heat a large pan to Medium, coating the surface in oil as it warms up. Toss in the turkey meat and cook until its bottom is brown, roughly two minutes.
- Once browned, flip meat, chop into small bits and chunks and push to the perimeter of the pan.
- Add the chopped mushroom, cashew, and scallion pieces to the center of the pan, then heat until browned and softened, roughly 2-3 minutes.
- Lower heat and stir meat and mushroom-cashew-scallion mixture together. Pour in enough hoisin sauce to coat the ingredients, then toss to distribute evenly; allow mixture to warm for one minute.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool if stuffing inside dough. (See the ‘Adapt’ section for details on how to finish putting together.)
Pick the approach that’s best for your child, of course, but also don’t hesitate to use the dish as a chance to explore/experiment. The first few times we made this, we offered it to our child multiple ways–on its own, in a tortilla, a lettuce wrap, in puff pastry–not only to see if/how he would try it but also to encourage him to try it multiple different ways. (For all options, though, side with your child’s preferred sauce–it’s precisely because the dish is already saucy that your child will want even more.)
The minced mixture and the sweet taste from the hoisin makes this an especially good filling for crispy shells–puff pastry, beggars purses, egg rolls, etc. Here’s how: take your dough and add a slick of cream cheese across the bottom; then pile the cooked meat mixture on top of the cream cheese, pressing down to adhere. Enclose or roll over the top of the dough, using an egg wash or a dab of water to seal the edges. Empanadas, puff pastry, and egg rolls will require roughly 7-10 minutes in an air fryer set to 375 to crisp up accordingly.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
