Quesbo Little Chefs · Around the world · Destination 04
Try something new.
Taste France.
Golden sandwich fingers, a comforting potato-topped pie and thin crêpes filled with strawberries. Three delicious ways to practise, discover and try again.
Welcome to the fourth stop in Quesbo’s Cooking Adventures Around the World. Find a grown-up cooking companion and bring a willingness to have a go. A sauce may need another whisk, a potato pattern may wobble and your first folded crêpe may look wonderfully different from your second.
These family recipes inspired by French cooking introduce sauce-making, layering and a thin pancake batter. Choose one for today or explore all three over several cooking sessions. Each recipe has useful jobs for little hands, with a grown-up taking care of the heat and sharp tools.
Choose your first taste
A little taste of France
France is in Europe, and its capital is Paris. Its food traditions include everyday bread, soups, family meals, regional cheeses and intricate pâtisserie. Exploring a few ingredients and kitchen skills is a good way to begin discovering that variety.
Our first taste is a café-style croque monsieur, a hot ham-and-cheese sandwich often made with béchamel sauce. The main meal carries the name of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, who helped popularise potatoes in France. For a sweet finish, we make wheat-flour crêpes: thin pancakes especially associated with Brittany, where savoury buckwheat galettes are also enjoyed.
Quesbo’s imaginary passport adventure
Camille showed Quesbo how to whisk the crêpe batter, then took charge of the hot pan. “The first one does not need to be perfect,” she said. When the cooked crêpe was cool enough to handle, Quesbo tried to fold it around the strawberries. It curled over itself like a sleepy blanket. He tasted it, smiled and tried another fold. His second attempt was different again, but this time he knew what to do. His passport earned its fourth golden word: COURAGE.
First taste 01 / 03
Croque Monsieur Fingers
Hot ham-and-cheese sandwich strips with creamy béchamel
Crisp bread, warm ham, melted cheese and a creamy béchamel topping turn a familiar sandwich into a little café adventure. This Quesbo version makes four sandwiches, each cut into two fingers for sharing. Children can measure, layer and count while a grown-up handles the sauce and grill.
Allergens: Contains milk and wheat; also mustard if used. Check the bread, ham, cheese and all other ingredient labels for additional allergens.
Your ingredients
For the sandwiches
- 8 slices medium white or wholemeal bread
- 4 slices cooked ham
- 120 g grated Gruyère, Emmental or mature cheddar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard, optional
For the béchamel
- 20 g butter
- 20 g plain flour
- 200 ml milk
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Black pepper
Get ready together
EquipmentSmall saucepan, Whisk, Grill-safe metal baking tray, used without baking paper, Blunt table knife for spreading, Grater, Chopping board and knife for an adult, Scales and measuring spoons.
Little hands can- Measure the cold sauce ingredients
- Count eight bread slices and four ham slices
- Divide the grated cheese into two equal portions
- Build sandwiches once an adult checks the bread and sauce are safe to handle
- Grate the cheese
- Make and whisk the béchamel over the hob
- Check sauce is safe to handle before children help assemble
- Use the grill and handle the hot tray
- Cut the sandwiches and check the hot filling before serving
Let’s make it
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Get everything ready
Measure the sauce ingredients and divide the grated cheese into two equal portions of 60 g. An adult does any grating. Set out an unlined, grill-safe metal tray: do not put baking paper under the grill. Follow the grill manufacturer's instructions for shelf position and whether the door should be open or closed.
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Start the béchamel
An adult melts the butter in the small saucepan over gentle heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute to make a smooth paste.
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Whisk in the milk
The adult adds the milk a little at a time, whisking each addition smooth before adding more. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir for about 2 minutes, until thick. Add the nutmeg and a little black pepper. Remove from the heat and let the sauce become warm enough to handle safely; taking it off the hob does not immediately make it cool.
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Lightly toast the bread
An adult heats the grill to medium-high. Lightly toast the eight bread slices on both sides, watching closely. Keep them lightly coloured because they will go back under the grill. Let both the bread and tray cool enough for sandwich building, then arrange four slices on the unlined tray.
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Build four sandwiches
Spread the optional mustard thinly over the four base slices. Add one slice of cooked ham to each, share the first 60 g cheese between them and add a spoonful of the warm béchamel to each. Put the remaining four bread slices on top.
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Add the golden topping
Spread the remaining béchamel over the sandwich tops and sprinkle with the remaining 60 g cheese. An adult grills for about 4–6 minutes, watching closely, until the topping is bubbling and golden and the filling is hot. The time depends on the grill; move the tray farther from the heat or reduce the heat if the top colours too quickly.
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Cool and cut into fingers
Let the sandwiches rest briefly. An adult cuts each sandwich into two fingers, making eight altogether, and checks the melted cheese and sauce have cooled to a comfortable eating temperature before serving to children.
Main meal 02 / 03
Hachis Parmentier
A French-style family pie with savoury beef and golden mashed potato
A savoury beef layer sits beneath soft mashed potato, with carrot and peas bringing extra colour. Hachis Parmentier is a French comfort dish that will feel familiar to families who enjoy cottage pie. Our version invites little chefs to explore layers and make fork patterns in the potato topping.
Allergens: Contains milk. Stock may contain celery, wheat, soya or other allergens depending on the brand. Check the stock, optional cheese and all other ingredient labels.
Your ingredients
For the meat layer
- 500 g lean beef mince
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, diced small
- 100 g frozen peas
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 250 ml reduced-salt beef stock
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the potato layer
- 1 kg floury potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 50 g butter
- 100 ml milk
- 50 g grated cheese, optional
Get ready together
EquipmentLarge saucepan, Colander, Large frying pan, Potato masher, Wooden spoon or spatula, Fork, Baking dish of about 2 litres, with room below the rim, Chopping board and knife for an adult, Scales and measuring jug, Clean food thermometer, if available.
Little hands can- Measure the milk and dried thyme
- Help mash potatoes only after an adult checks their temperature
- Compare and draw fork patterns on mash that is safe to handle
- Count out six serving bowls or plates
- Peel and chop potatoes, onion and carrot
- Handle raw mince and prevent cross-contamination
- Boil and drain potatoes and use the hot frying pan
- Stir peas into the hot filling and assemble the hot layers
- Grate any cheese and handle the baking dish
- Check the mince and centre are thoroughly cooked
- Portion the pie and check it has cooled enough to eat
Let’s make it
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Prepare the potatoes and oven
An adult peels and chops the potatoes into similar-sized chunks, finely chops the onion and dices the carrot. Heat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan. Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook for about 15–18 minutes until tender, then an adult drains them carefully.
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Brown the beef
Meanwhile, an adult heats the oil in the frying pan. Add the beef mince, onion and carrot and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring and breaking the mince into small pieces. Keep raw mince and its utensils away from ready-to-eat food, and wash hands and clean surfaces after handling it.
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Make the filling
Stir the tomato purée and thyme into the mince, then pour in the stock. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the filling is thick rather than watery. The adult stirs in the frozen peas and allows the mixture to bubble again. The mince must be fully cooked through; it will also be checked in the finished dish.
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Mash the potatoes
Mash the drained potatoes with the butter and milk until smooth. An adult checks the bowl, potatoes and utensils before children help, and does the mashing if they are still too hot. Taste only after an adult confirms the mash is at a comfortable temperature.
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Build the layers
The adult spoons the hot meat filling into the baking dish. Use a larger dish or a second small dish if needed to leave space below the rim. Add the mash in small spoonfuls across the top, then gently spread it into an even layer so it does not sink into the filling.
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Draw the fork patterns
Make lines across the mash with a fork and sprinkle with the optional cheese. Children can help with patterns only once an adult has checked the dish and food are safe to work near; otherwise practise patterns on a spoonful of cooled mash while the adult finishes the pie.
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Bake and check the centre
The adult bakes the dish for about 20 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling. Check the centre is steaming hot throughout and the mince is fully cooked. A clean thermometer should show 70°C for 2 minutes or 75°C for 30 seconds in the centre. Continue cooking if needed; a golden top alone does not show that the middle is ready.
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Let it settle before serving
Rest the pie briefly before an adult spoons it into six portions. The filling under the mash can stay very hot, so allow children's portions to cool to a comfortable eating temperature before the first bite.
Sweet finish 03 / 03
Strawberry Crêpes
Thin French pancakes filled with strawberries and yoghurt
Thin pancakes are lovely to fold, roll and fill. This simple batter becomes crêpes with golden freckles, ready for strawberries and cool yoghurt. A grown-up manages the pan, while young cooks can whisk, prepare the filling and choose the shape of their finished crêpe.
Allergens: Contains milk, egg and wheat. Check all ingredient labels, including any dairy alternatives used in variations.
Your ingredients
For the batter
- 125 g plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 300 ml milk
- 25 g butter, melted, plus a little for the pan
For the filling
- 250 g strawberries, sliced
- 200 g thick natural or vanilla yoghurt
- 1–2 tbsp honey
- Squeeze of lemon juice
Get ready together
EquipmentMixing bowl, Whisk, Measuring jug, Non-stick frying pan, Spatula, Small saucepan or heatproof bowl for melting butter, Bowl for the strawberries, Plate for the cooked crêpes, Scales and measuring spoons, Knife and board for an adult.
Little hands can- Measure flour and milk
- Whisk the batter
- Wash strawberries before an adult trims and slices them
- Mix the prepared fruit with lemon and honey when suitable
- Fill and fold crêpes after an adult checks they are cool enough
- Melt butter and check its temperature before it enters the batter
- Handle raw eggs and supervise hand and utensil washing
- Trim and slice strawberries
- Heat, grease and tilt the pan
- Turn every crêpe with a spatula and check it is cooked
- Check crêpes are comfortable to handle before filling
Let’s make it
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Start the batter
Put the flour and pinch of salt in the mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle, add the eggs and begin whisking, gradually drawing in the flour. Do not taste raw batter; it contains uncooked flour and egg.
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Whisk until smooth and rest
Pour in the milk gradually while whisking until the batter is smooth. An adult melts the 25 g butter and checks it is warm rather than hot, then stir it into the batter. Cover and rest the batter in the fridge for 20 minutes. Whisk gently again before cooking.
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Prepare the strawberries
Wash the strawberries. An adult removes the tops and slices them, then children can mix the slices with the lemon juice and half the chosen amount of honey. Keep the yoghurt and prepared fruit chilled until serving. Do not serve honey to children under one.
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Make the first thin pancake
An adult heats the non-stick pan over medium heat and lightly greases it with a little of the extra butter. Pour in just enough batter to coat the base thinly, tilting the pan quickly to spread it. The adult controls the pan throughout.
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Turn with a spatula
Cook for about 1 minute until the surface is set, the edges begin to lift and the underside is lightly golden. The adult slides a spatula underneath, turns the crêpe and cooks the second side for about 20–30 seconds, until no wet batter remains. Adjust the heat if it colours too quickly.
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Cook the rest
Transfer the cooked crêpe to a plate and repeat, using a little more butter for the pan as needed. The batter makes about ten crêpes, depending on the pan size and how thinly you spread it. The first one is a chance for the adult to adjust the heat and batter amount; an uneven shape is fine once the crêpe is fully cooked.
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Fill, fold or roll
Let the crêpes cool enough to handle comfortably. Share the yoghurt and strawberries between them, then fold or roll. Drizzle with the remaining honey if wanted. Enjoy them soon after filling.
Your tasty passport · Destination 04
You’ve tasted France.
What will you try next?
Open your cooking notebook and make a new passport page. Write FRANCE at the top, draw a dish you tried and add the date and your cooking companion’s name.
- Give it a taste score. Rate each dish you tried from 1 to 5. Everyone is allowed a different favourite.
- Choose your next step. Would you cook it again? Write “Yes”, “Maybe” or “Not yet”.
- Remember three discoveries. A croque monsieur is a hot ham-and-cheese sandwich; Parmentier helped popularise potatoes in France; crêpes are especially associated with Brittany.
- Earn your COURAGE stamp. Write down one new kitchen task you tried with your grown-up. What would you like to practise next time?
Food detective: which ingredient is melted to start the béchamel, mashed with the potatoes and stirred into the crêpe batter? Answer: butter.
A word for your journey: Bonjour means “Hello” in French. At the table, Bon appétit is a friendly way to say “Enjoy your meal”.
Your next destination clue: the compass points to an island country where two small pancakes hide a sweet bean filling. Where might your recipe compass take you?
Food and discovery notes for grown-ups
Recipes adapted from Quesbo’s France cooking pages, with clearer preparation, supervision and storage guidance. These are family interpretations of the dishes. Food imagery is AI-generated for illustration, rather than photographs from a kitchen test.
- Taste France: the croque sandwich family
- Taste France: a hachis Parmentier variation
- France’s Ministry of Agriculture: Antoine-Augustin Parmentier
- France’s official tourism website: Breton crêpes and galettes
- Food Standards Agency: cooking food thoroughly
- Food Standards Agency: chilling and storing food
- Reynolds: parchment paper use and why it is unsuitable under a grill
- NHS: foods to avoid giving babies and young children
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