Kid-Friendly Vegetable Pate

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This easy vegetarian pate recipe is a great family friendly recipe for when you need a party appetizer or something to take to a family gathering. Its also a great item to have on hand at home with kids who are learning to try new foods.

This pate is made up of three distinct layers – and each layer has its own flavor and texture to explore.

• The white bean layer is creamy, flavorful with lemon juice, garlic, and oregano.
• The roasted red pepper layer is gorgeously colored and made with roasted red peppers and feta cheese. It’s simple, flavorful, and not spicy.
• The pesto layer is like a traditional pesto (lots of basil, pine nuts, and and garlic) but also has a generous helping of ricotta cheese to help give it texture.

They are great by themselves and delicious when tried all together! Invite your kids to explore each layer individually and in combinations! Which do they like best?

This vegetarian pate is a fantastic recipe. Why, you ask? Well, let me tell you:
1. It’s so easy! The only equipment you need is  a bread pan, a food processor, and a spatula. That’s it!!!
2. It is fast to prepare the night before.
3. It tastes AMAZING! It is light and refreshing and each layer gives it unique character.
4. It makes a perfect appetizer for the whole family!

Tips for making vegetable pate kid-friendly:

This is a gorgeous appetizer to serve by itself, or as part of a kid-friendly charcuterie board. The individual layers would also be great served by themselves as dips. These spreads are definitely family friendly recipes, and a perfect way to help your child explore different flavors and ingredients and become an adventurous eater.

To make vegetable pate kid-friendly, its all about presentation and exploration!

Allow your child the freedom to explore this vegetable pate on their own grounds – testing different layers, trying different things with it, etc. The more they can explore and play with it, the more comfortable they will become with it, and the more likely they are to eat some of it!

• Ask your kids which layer they like best.
• Talk to them about the textures, smells, and tastes of each layer individually, combined, and with different dippers.

Instead of this being an emotional eating time, try looking at this dish as an analytical experiment. For more information on how to do this, read the article on How to Explore the Sense of Taste with Kids.

What to serve with vegetable pate:

Serve this layered vegetable spread with lots of fun things to dip into it, like:

• baby carrots
• celery
• crackers (I suggest my sourdough crackers!)
• soft bread

Learn more about how to spice food for kids.

How your kids can help you cook:

This is a great recipe to have your kids help you make!

• Kids aged 1-3 can help you rinse the beans, squeeze lemon juice, measure ingredients, press the garlic cloves, crumble the feta, spread the mixtures.
• Kids aged 4-6 can help you do all the above, plus help you open cans, chop fresh herbs,  and spread the layers in the pan.
• Kids aged 7-10+ can help you do all the above, chop the red peppers.

*Please note that these recommendations are generalized, and to please use your personal discretion with your child’s skill level. And always, always supervise! Read more about how to have your children help you in the kitchen.

Food tastes better when its shared! If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rate below! Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this post, please link to this post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thanks so much for supporting me! xoxo

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Yield: 8 Servings

Kid-Friendly Vegetable Pate

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This three layer vegetable pate recipe is a fun family friendly appetizer recipe that is perfect for kids to enjoy! Three soft layers of vegetable based dips - a white bean layer spiced with fresh oregano, a roasted red pepper and feta layer, and a pesto layer come together to make a flavorful appetizer!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

White Bean Layer

• 2 x 15-ounce  cans cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained thoroughly
• 1 tbsp  fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed

Red Pepper Layer

• 7-ounce  jar roasted red bell peppers, drained, chopped
• 3/4 cup  crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)

Pesto Layer

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup  fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup  fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup  toasted pine nuts
• 3 tbsp  olive oil
• 1/2 cup  low-fat ricotta cheese

Instructions

Line your pan with plastic wrap, overlapping sides.

White Bean Layer

• Mash beans in large bowl. Add lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and garlic and blend until smooth.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spread bean mixture evenly on bottom of prepared pan.

Red Pepper Layer

• Combine peppers and feta in processor and blend until smooth.
• Spread pepper mixture evenly over bean layer in prepared dish.

Pesto Layer

• Mince garlic in processor. Add basil, parsley and pine nuts and
  mince.
• With machine running, gradually add oil through feed tube and process
  until smooth.
• Mix in ricotta.
• Spread pesto evenly over red pepper layer.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To Serve:

• invert pâté onto serving platter.
• Peel off plastic wrap from pâté.
• Garnish with herb sprigs and serve with sourdough bread slices.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 315Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 156mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 8gSugar: 2gProtein: 15g

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