1. family and parenting
2. children

Meat Beef burger sliders
7-11
years
Mini Chefs lesson plan
Aims of the session
• To introduce children to red meat and teach them
how to prepare and cook fresh beef mince safely
and to make burgers.
• To enable children to name and use a range
of basic cooking equipment (e.g. knife,
chopping board).
Introduction
As a popular dish with young children, it is
good to show what is in a burger and how it is
made from scratch.
A type of sandwich, it is thought that the
word ‘hamburger’ comes from Hamburg in
Germany.
Beef is a good source of protein which is
needed for growth and maintenance of
normal muscles and healthy bones. Red
meat is also a good source of iron, which is
a mineral.
Mince can be made from different types of
meat, such as beef, lamb, turkey and pork,
and can be made into a wide variety of meals,
such as meatballs, spaghetti bolognese,
cottage pie and lasagne.
Cuts of meat are ground in a mincer (a
machine), which grinds a larger piece of
meat (the muscle) and forces it through small
nozzles giving it its unique appearance and
texture.
• To provide the opportunity for children to
demonstrate a range of basic food preparation skills
(e.g. grate, bridge and claw cutting techniques).
• To teach children about the nutrients provided
by red meat.
• To learn the sensory properties of meat, give
their opinion about these and use some sensory
vocabulary to describe the ingredients used to
make a burger.
Children will
• recall and carry out the personal hygiene drill,
with support
• learn how to make burgers and perform the
necessary food preparation skills safely and
hygienically (e.g. handling raw and cooked meat
safely and washing hands and knives and boards)
• evaluate the taste and appearance of their dish
Minced beef should be cooked thoroughly to
destroy harmful bacteria (there should not be
any pink in the centre of the burger).
• be encouraged to build their skills and
confidence by making the dish again at home
as part of a family meal
It is important that raw and cooked meat
are prepared and kept separate (including
washing hands between handling, using
different knives, boards and plates).
Skills
Peeling, chopping, grating,
mixing, shaping, slicing and
presenting.
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Outline of activity
1. Discuss the activity with the children - show them examples of different meat
cuts and how mince is made using a mincer (pictures or video):
http://meatandeducation.redmeatinfo.com/resources/downloads/posters/making-mince
http://meatandeducation.redmeatinfo.com/resources/teacher-cpd/interactive-whiteboard-activities
2. Demonstrate the recipe and discuss the key skills - emphasise the need to work safely and
hygienically, e.g. washing hands.
3. Make the recipe in groups of four children.
4. Serve and eat the burgers.
What you will need
Ingredients
For 1 group
For 2 groups
For 3 groups
For 4 groups
Small onion
1
2
3
4
Small carrot
1
2
3
4
250g
500g
750g
1kg
1 teaspoon
2 teaspoons
3 teaspoons
4 teaspoons
2 tablespoons
4 tablespoons
6 tablespoons
8 tablespoons
2 teaspoons
4 teaspoons
6 teaspoons
8 teaspoons
1 level teaspoon
2 level teaspoons
3 level teaspoons
4 level teaspoons
2
4
6
8
4cm piece
8cm piece
12cm piece
16cm piece
8
16
24
32
8 leaves
16 leaves
24 leaves
32 leaves
For 1 group
For 2 groups
For 3 groups
For 4 groups
Box grater
1
2
3
4
Chopping board
1
2
3
4
Small vegetable knife
2
4
6
8
Vegetable peeler
1
2
3
4
Fork
2
4
6
8
Measuring spoons
1
2
3
4
Non-stick baking tray
with rim
1
2
3
4
Mixing bowl
1
2
3
4
(4 children)
Lean beef mince
Dried mixed herbs
Tomato ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
Dijon mustard
(8 children)
(12 children)
(16 children)
Black pepper
Tomato
Cucumber
Small wholemeal roll
Little gem lettuce
Ingredients
(4 children)
(8 children)
(12 children)
(16 children)
Oven gloves, one pair per oven
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How to run the session
Before the children arrive
Some children may not eat meat for religious
reasons or beliefs. If so, consider how this session
could be adapted to be inclusive.
• Store fresh food covered in the fridge until it is
needed. The meat should be kept refrigerated
until the last moment.
• Set out the equipment needed for each group.
• Set out the ingredients required.
• Set out the demonstration area with all
ingredients and equipment listed.
• Get the recipes and aprons ready.
• Prepare the room and tables. Display the
recipe on the whiteboard and/or provided
copies of the recipe on the table for children
to follow.
• Make sure you preheat the oven. If it is not
in the same room, ensure that others in the
school know that it is being used.
Activity
You’ll need:
Introduction
Recipe on the whiteboard/
copies of recipes for the
children to read through
Explain to the children that they will be making mini
burgers, that are called sliders in the USA.
Get ready to cook
Ensure that all the children are ready to cook.
Children should follow the personal hygiene drill:
You’ll need:
Aprons, sink, soap and hand towels
• tie up long hair
• remove jewellery
• roll up long sleeves
• wear an apron
• wash their hands
Curriculum links
England - D&T: Cooking and nutrition,
Science
Scotland - Health and wellbeing,
Technologies
Northern Ireland - The world around us Wales - D&T: Food, PHE
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Activity
Inspire the children
• Discuss the different recipes (show images) that use mince
(e.g. burgers, meatballs, lasagne).
• Ask them about the meat – which animal it is from? Explain about the
different types of meat that are available (e.g. beef, turkey, lamb and
pork). How many have they tasted? Are they different?
• Talk about how red meat is a good source of iron. It is also a source of
protein, which supports the growth and maintenance of normal muscles
and healthy bones. It’s important to eat a varied and balanced diet as part
of a healthy lifestyle.
• Explain that some people do not eat meat for religious reasons or
their beliefs.
• Why is meat kept in the fridge? It is to keep it safe and reduce the
multiplication of bacteria.
• Go through the recipe so that children understand your expectations.
Demonstration
• Demonstrate how to cut the onion using a fork secure (or bridge hold
and claw grip).
• Show how to grate the carrot safely (repositioning the carrot as it gets
smaller in order to keep fingers away from the grater blades).
You’ll need:
Images
Demonstration ingredients
and equipment
• Show how to shape the burgers. Remind children to wash their hands
after touching raw meat.
• Show how to test if they are cooked, and ask them to make sure you have
checked their burgers. You can show children at the end of the cooking
activity if you are not able to cook a portion of burgers in advance.
Get cooking!
• Divide the children into groups of four.
• Ask children to check they have the correct equipment, according
to the recipe.
• Ask the children to measure and weigh the ingredients required. Check their
measurements are accurate and ask them to work together to check each
others’ measurements.
• Supervise the children setting the oven to the correct temperature, if the oven
is in the same room.
• Children will need to wash their hands during this activity. If the room does not
have running hot water, ensure that a washing-up bowl with hot water, soap
and a hand-towel is available.
• Meat is kept in the fridge until needed – remind them why.
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Activity
Keep cooking!
• Ensure that any knives, boards or plates that are reused (after having
raw meat on them) are washed thoroughly so that no cross
contamination can occur.
• Check for correct cutting techniques - it is important that the onion is small
so that the burger does not fall apart.
• Use oven gloves when placing items in and taking items out of the oven.
• While the burger is cooking, prepare the roll and salad items (ensure the
children have washed their hands since the last time they had contact
with the raw burger).
• Use a bread knife to slice the bread rolls through the middle (an adult
should do this or supervise children doing it).
• Slice the cucumber using the claw grip (or supervise children doing it).
• Slice the tomato using the bridge hold - half the tomato, place a half flat
side down, secure it with a fork (or claw grip) and slice. Make sure the knife
is sharp enough or serrated, as a blunt knife will tear the tomato.
• Check there is no pink meat undercooked in the middle of a burger,
pierce with a sharp knife and check juices run clear.
• When the burger is cooked, assemble it in the roll with the salad.
How to finish this activity
• Children should serve and eat their burger while hot. It is not
recommended that these are stored/or reheated (the burger roll
will go soggy and it may not be safe to reheat).
• Ask if the children made this again, how could they improve the burger?
Encourage them to be creative:
- What mince could they use? (For example, lamb, beef, pork or turkey.)
- What flavourings could they add? (For example, herbs, spices or sauces.)
- What could they serve with the burger, e.g. different leaves,
different buns or rolls?
- What vegetables could they add? (For example, grated courgette,
chopped mushrooms or diced peppers.)
You’ll need:
Plates and napkins
Copies of the recipe for the
children to take home
• Ask children if they liked making the burgers and would make it again
at home for their families.
• Provide the children with a copy of the recipe to take home – encourage
them to make this with their parents/carers.
Useful links
For basic food skills in primary schools, including videos demonstrating cutting, peeling and
grating and support around where food comes from, visit
www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
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