A Kid in the Kitchen: Matisse Gets a Little Fancy

To put a kid-friendly recipe to the test, we contacted Matisse Reid, an 11-year-old foodie who loves tinkering around in the kitchen. This month, she whipped up Chicken Cordon Bleu for her brother and sister. Here's her report. —Phoebe Wu

"This recipe surprised me because I thought it would take a lot of preparation to make, but it was really quick. Rolling up the flattened chicken with the filling might be hard for some children, especially when you're supposed to hold the rolls together with toothpicks. I used a product called The Food Loop to tie the chicken up, but kitchen twine would have been a good substitute. Tying the chicken made the whole job so much easier, and the rolls kept their shape after they were cooked. I was also surprised that the recipe put cheese in the breading—I would have liked more cheese in the middle instead. But the pancetta gave it a nice smoky flavor, and the breadcrumbs were really light and didn't weigh the dish down at all."

THE VERDICT

• Kalani (age 14): Like me, he wanted a bit more cheese, but he said it was really good, which is good coming from him! 7 out of 10
• Rachel (age 20): She really liked the light and supercrunchy breading. 8 out of 10
• Matisse: The chicken was beautifully tender, and overall, it was very good. 9 out of 10

View Recipe: Chicken Cordon Bleu