Bread snacks for kids

Here are a couple of afternoon snacks I prepare for my 7 yr old daughter when she comes home from school. Both are bread-based and simple. I prepare and leave them in the warm oven before going to bring her. By the time we get back home, they are just the right temperature for her to dig into.

The first one we call Bread Boats.

Scoop out the interiors of hotdog buns/dinner rolls/burger buns. Brush or spray lightly with olive oil. Bake at 400F for 10 mins. In the meanwhile, heat some oil, saute finely chopped onions till soft, add finely chopped tomatoes and some canned beans like black beans (drained and rinsed). Add salt, red chilli pwd, cumin pwd and coriander pwd to taste. Mix well, lightly mash some of the beans and take off heat. Fill this bean mixture in the bread hollows. Dot with either butter or cheese. In the above picture I have used Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb Cheese Wedge. Bake again at 400F for 10 - 15 mins until bread crisps up.

The other after-school snack she likes are Bread Fingers.

For this, toast the bread (I use multi-grain or whole wheat) until lightly browned. Then cut into fingers. I usually remove the crust. In a separate bowl cream together 2 tsp butter, finely chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots. Season with salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash seasoning blend, dried herbs like basil or any other seasonings per choice. Spread this evenly on the bread fingers. Bake at 400F for 10 mins until crisp.

These Bread Boats and Bread Fingers go to the Kids Finger Foods Event at Spice Your Life.