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| Mashed Potato Fun for Kids |
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by Kim Tilley Now you can tell the kids to play with their food! Mashed potatoes can be a very "tactile" experience for the very young (I remember the days of mashed potatoes in my toddler's hair- and sometimes in mine!). Mashed potatoes also fun to dress up in different colors. We never met a potato that we didn't like! Mashed Potato Ghosts mashed potatoes 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional) 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley or dill (optional) 1/2 cup small black olives 1. Create stencils of ghost shapes out of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place stencils on cookie sheet or microwaveable serving dish. Working with 1/2 to 1 cup mashed potatoes per ghost, use rubber spatula to fill in stencil's ghost shapes. Lift stencils off finished ghosts. Using small paring knife, slice olives to create circular shapes to be used for eyes and mouth. 2. To warm ghosts,place potatoes on cookie sheet and reheat at 350 degrees, loosely covered with foil, 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through. You can also heat in microwave (don't use aluminum foil- use waxed paper instead) on high/100% power for 3 to 5 minutes on microwavable dish. Makes 4 to 6 servings. More Ideas: Rainbow Potatoes- You can make potatoes just about any color with a little food coloring! Our personal favorites are green potatoes on St. Patrick's Day and purple potatoes (just for fun!) Also try Yukon Gold potatoes- the color is naturally beautiful. You can try mashed sweet potatoes as well, but most kids won't eat them. The color is cool, though! Spuds with Jewels : In a frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and briefly sauté 1 diced red pepper (add hot peppers such as green jalapeno for fire). Stir in 1/2 teaspoon basil. Immediately pour on top of mashed potatoes. Green Potatoes: Use an electric mixer to blend 1 to 2 cups chopped cooked spinach into one batch of mashed potatoes until they turn green. (The easiest way is to just add green food coloring!) Red Coats: Use purple, red, or new potatoes with their skins on. Bird's Nests: Drop mounds of mashed potatoes onto greased cookie sheet, making a well in each mound. Crack an egg into the well of each potato mound and bake. Full recipe is here. Smashed Potatoes: Lumpy mashed potatoes can be cool! Have the kids help you mash the potatoes roughly, and fold in a bit of butter, milk, salt and pepper. Do NOT mash until smooth. A kid favorite! The Cheddar Broccoli: Mix 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese with 1 cup chopped, steamed broccoli florets and fold into the mashed spuds. Prague Potatoes: Pan-fry 4 strips bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan and add 1 diced onion, cooking until translucent. Crumble the bacon into the onion. Top mashed potatoes with bacon, onion, and drippings, using 1 1/2 teaspoons, or less, of fat per serving. Golden Broil: Spread prepared mashed potatoes in an oven-to-table baking dish. Drizzle 1/2 cup heavy cream over the top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Broil until the top turns golden. Breakfast for Dinner: Serve mashed potatoes in a large bowl topped with 3 to 4 chopped hard-boiled eggs chopped fresh parsley and chives. Tatties'n'Neeps: For the Scots' way of using up leftover mashed potatoes, mix equal amounts of mashed potatoes and mashed turnips. Colcannon: Mix mashed potatoes with l 1/2 cups shredded, cooked, drained cabbage or kale. Bangers and Mash: Try this English recipe - serve plain mashed potatoes with broiled or pan-seared sausages ("bangers") on the side. Fenced-in Spuds: Surround a mound of mashed potatoes with a fence of steamed green beans and carrot sticks. More Potato Ideas: Mashed Potato Breakfasts Mashed Potato Dinners and Sides Mashed Potato Breads Mashed Potato Desserts © Copyright 1999-2000 Frugal-Moms.com Inc. |
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Create My Own Soup 
