2026-11-02 • Ages 2–5
Harvest Sweet Potato Hand Pies
Harvest colors and sealed shapes
Ingredients and preparation
PER CHILD: 1 small whole-wheat dough round, 2 tbsp cooked mashed sweet potato, 1 tbsp finely chopped soft spinach, 1 tbsp shredded cheddar, pinch cinnamon. BEFORE CLASS: Wash sweet potatoes and spinach. Chef cooks and cools sweet potato; teachers remove skin and portion. Wash, dry, and finely chop spinach. Portion dough and fillings. Set out aprons, handwashing supplies, individual child-proof knives, cutting mats, measuring spoons, mashers, forks, labeled parchment trays, and cleanup bins.
30-minute lesson
0–3 min: Aprons, handwashing, tool reminder. 3–7 min: Compare orange and green foods. 7–14 min: Mash, measure, and cut soft spinach. 14–22 min: Fill, fold, and crimp. 22–26 min: Group photo with creations. 26–30 min: Children help clean; teacher checks labels and take-home roster.
Ages 2–3
Mash cooled sweet potato; scoop premeasured fillings; sprinkle cheese; fold with teacher help; press edges with a fork.
Ages 4–5
Measure tablespoons; cut soft spinach; divide filling evenly; fold semicircles; count and repeat fork marks.
Learning goals
Tablespoon measurement, color vocabulary, texture change through mashing, halves and symmetry, safe cutting, fine-motor crimping, sequencing, and heat transformation.
Chef instructions
Bake labeled hand pies at 375°F for 14–18 minutes until dough is fully baked and lightly golden. Keep allergy-adjusted trays separate. Cool completely and package one labeled pie per child.
Teacher photo upload
Classrooms ages 2 and up: upload finished creation photos or a permitted group photo. Choose your center and classroom. Your center’s director and Evelyn receive the photos by text.
Upload finished creation photos