Bastilla is Moroccan in origin/renown and pie in form, a mix of savory (meat, onions, warming spices) and sweet (fruit, sugar) stuffed between flaky crusts. When we first tackled serving it, we assumed a pie of any sort, and especially pie-as-dinner, would be of obvious appeal to our child, and thus made the dish in its original and intended form; our son, well, blanched. His reaction, to be generous here, was more philosophical than pleased: Why does this pie not taste like pie? Why would pie taste like chicken? Et al.
Reader, he did not eat this.
That happens, of course–and happens to us as much as anyone else. But if you’re at all familiar with Moroccan cuisine, or if you’ve scanned the ingredients of the recipe below, you know there’s nothing in here the average toddler won’t eat; it’s not too difficult of a reach for them, especially if you focus on accessibility. So, literally, roll with the changes. Make it handheld. Crunch focused. A simpler filling. A sweeter exterior. The components are basically the same, yes–but it definitely eats more like a pizza roll than a pie. (On the plus side, less work/effort on your end with phyllo dough, which is always a plus.)
Cooks in Morocco and Algeria typically top bastilla with powdered sugar and/or cinnamon; we favor honey, but can’t argue with the fact that dusting the top with sugar is likely a good way to capture their interest. If that doesn’t work, try breaking out large shards of the phyllo and top with the chicken mixture–you know, like nachos.
At the risk of heresy, know this: if you don’t have any dates on hand, a spoonful or squeeze of jelly will work just as well.
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.
