By Tracey Dowdy 

I don’t know about you, but I’m one of the multitudes of Americans who baked – and ate – their way through quarantine. I watched hours of the Great British Baking Show, Nadia’s Time to Eat, The Big Family Cooking Showdown, Ugly Delicious…obviously, there’s a theme here. I perfected my biscuits, cinnamon rolls, quick white bread, an olive and rosemary crown, finally learned how to make the most of my Instant Pot, and pulled herbs from my garden to make vinegars and herbed butters. Some took more than one attempt – I’m looking at you olive and rosemary crown – while others require no skill at all – hello vinegars. 

Cooking together is a great way to connect as a family. Even young children can help with meal prep. Learning cooking and baking basics, nutrition, and how what we eat impacts our health and can broaden your child’s palate and provide life skills they’ll utilize the rest of their lives.

So whether you’re ready to set up a family throw down on Meatless Monday, or Taco Tuesday, or even if you’re looking for shortcuts to making meal time less of a battlefield, these online cooking classes are a great place to start. Plus, with many students returning to virtual schooling this fall, they’ll be able to make your lunch this time around. 

TV’s perkiest chef is hosting a 16-part live virtual cooking camp called Rachael Ray’s Yum-o! Cooking Camp. The camp is up and running and will continue throughFriday, August 14, with daily cooking classes at 2 p.m. ET that run roughly 45 minutes each. Classes are aimed at kids 8-15 Ray’s engaging style will draw budding chefs of all ages. 

You’ve probably seen videos of Delish’s delicious recipes in your social media timeline. Every weekday at 1pm EST they host a livestream on Instagram. Your whole family will enjoy getting creative and making easy and fun recipes with Joanna Saltz. 

America’s Test Kitchen Online Cooking School is ideal for newbies or those of us that want to get really good at cooking basics by explaining the science behind cooking in practical ways. Instead of memorizing recipes, you’ll learn techniques like folding rather than mixing batters, the difference between boiling and simmering, and how to choose the right pot or pan for the job.  

They’re offering a free, 21-day trial, after which monthly memberships cost around $20 per month or approximately $180 for the year.

If baking is more your thing, Cakeflix may be more your speed, especially if baking and decorating gorgeous, Instagram worthy cakes are your dream. With over 1000 online cake decorating and business tutorials from some of the world’s greatest cake artists, the possibilities are endless. Every week a new feature-length tutorial is uploaded and each is broken down into easy to follow steps with lessons ranging from beginner to advanced. They’re currently offering a 7-day free trial, after than plans range from $155-299.00 annually. 

Rouxbe is the world’s leading online culinary school. Using high definition videos, world-class instructors, peer support, and interactive assignments, their classes are more advanced and best suited for individuals who already have a working culinary knowledge or are currently working in the food industry. Membership is fee-based at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, but and you can get a free 30-day trial to see if it’s a good fit for you.

If you’re really serious about your culinary skills, Masterclass provides access to the elite of the culinary world. Think Gordon Ramsey, James Suckling, Wolfgang Puck, and Massimo Bottura plus a host of others. Learn knife skills, how to prepare the five French mother sauces every cook should know, wine appreciation – from the best in the world. You can access all of the classes for $180 a year, or if you’re not ready to commit, enter your email and explore a couple of classes for free. 

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits, and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.