In this series, we're showing off some of the coolest recipes, tips and tricks we've learned from chefs in the all-new Food Network Kitchen app.

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Forget a chef’s toque: Cooking with kids requires (imaginary) “patience pants.” For one thing, you need to enter the kitchen knowing exactly what to cook. You also need to be sure you have all ingredients on hand, and that you can complete the dish before kids lose interest and head off to the next activity.

All that aside, cooking with little ones is fun for you and them. And, as I’ve recently realized, the Food Network Kitchen app makes it even better.

Get Their Creative Juices Flowing

Help them see the fun in making food and seeing their creations become a meal. Lasheeda Perry's 5 Crispy Rice Treat Hacks class delivers joy and whimsy. She shows you how to make the classic treats and turn them into a pizza, doughnuts (pictured above), mini lemon meringue pies, crispy ice cream sandwiches, and peanut butter and chocolate cups. You and the kids will have a blast "literally making magic," Lasheeda says.

Give Them (Some) Autonomy

In her Cheesy Eggs-in-a-Hole with Bacon class, recipe developer Arlyn Osborne reveals that she thought eggs-in-a-hole were "the coolest things ever," when she was a kid. Now, don't you want to stay "the coolest ever" with your kids for as long as possible? Ha. I can't promise this recipe will up your cool factor forever, but I know it'll extend your chances. Kids will have fun using their favorite cookie cutters to make the holes in their bread slices and crumbling the cooked, cooled bacon. (What kid doesn't like getting his or her hands dirty?) Go ahead and have them crack their eggs too — I know mine always feel like pro chefs when I let them handle this task!

Make It a Treat

Kelley Senyei's Chocolate-Covered Frozen Bananas class is a delicious kid-friendly dessert that's also touch healthy — a total win-win. The kids can be involved from start (prepping the bananas) to the finish of sprinkling them with their favorite toppings. But I think the most-fun part of this recipe comes in the middle, when you let the kids turn their desired toppings into bite-size pieces! Kelly has a great trick for making this a mess-free mission both you and the kids will enjoy.

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