Mashed Potato Volcano Food

POTATO VOLCANO

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil; cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. Drain well; mash with milk. Add butter and salt; beat until fluffy. Mound potato mixture about 4 in. high on a 9-in. broiler-proof pan; set aside. , In a saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add cheese, salt and pepper; stir until the cheese is melted. , With a large spoon, form a well 3 to 3-1/2 in. deep and 2-in. wide in the potato mixture. Pour cheese sauce into the well and drizzle down the sides. Broil 4 to 6 in. from the heat for 10 minutes or until the cheese sauce is browned and bubbling.

MASHED POTATO VOLCANOES

Steps:

• Put the diced potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes.
• When the potatoes are done, drain them and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the butter and milk and stir. Mash the potatoes well with a potato masher, then add a little salt if desired.
• In the meantime, make the "lava." Heat the milk in a small saucepan. Dissolve the flour in just enough water to make it smooth and flowing. When the milk is hot, stir the dissolved flour slowly into the saucepan. Sprinkle in the salt, then the optional cheese and stir until it is melted. Simmer the mixture gently until smooth and thick. Stir the ketchup into the sauce, but leave some red streaks showing, so that it looks "fiery."
• Divide the mashed potatoes among 4 serving plates. Have everyone shape them into mountains, then press the tops down lightly to flatten. Finally, have them make a small indentation at the very top with their thumb.
• Have the children arrange some of the peas or broccoli florets around the volcano. These are trees and bushes.
• Let each child pour some of the "lava" into the indentation at the top of each "volcano" with a small ladle. It should flow down the sides. It's fine if it drips over the "greenery" too. Eat at once, before the lava solidifies into magma!

BAKED POTATO VOLCANO

Steps:

• Bake the potatoes first. 425 degree oven for 45-60 minutes. Let cool.
• Scoop out about 1/3 of the potato (melon baller is suggested).
• Wrap bacon around potato, starting at base, about 3 strips per potato. Secure with toothpicks.
• Mix cream cheese, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, green onions, chilies, salt and pepper.
• Fill the potato with the cheese mixture.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Top with folded slice of chedder per potato. Bake 5 minutes more to melt that cheese.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Cut in half to display the melting volcano.

VOLCANO POTATOES

Steps:

• peel the potatoes and then cut them into 4 pieces.
• put the potatoes into a 2-quart saucepan. add enough cold water to cover them.
• turn the heat under the water on high & bring the water to a boil. large bubbles on the surface will burst when it's boiling.
• turn the heat down until the water simmers or bubbles slightly. put the lid on the saucepan and cook the potatoes for 20 minutes.
• after 20 minutes, insert a fork into a potato piece. if it goes in easily, the potatoes are done.
• place a colander into the sink. pour the potato water into the sink via colander.
• put the potatoes back into the saucepan. use a electric mixer to beat the potatoes until they are smooth.
• add all of the other ingrediants except the chees & paprika in with the potatoes, using the mixer to beat the potatoes until they are light and fluffy.
• preheat the oven to 350 degrees. use paper towels tto grease the baking dish with shortning. spoon 6 mounds of mashed potatoes, each about 3-inches high, into a baking dish.
• use a rubber spatula to shape the potatoes into volcanoes. use a spoon the make a crater in the top of each volcano.
• fill each volcano with a tablespoon of grated cheese. sprinkle with paprika on top.
• bake the volcano potatoes until the cheese melts and browns slightly.
• remove the potatoes from the oven. use a metal spatula to loosen the potatoes carefully fromt he bottom of the baking dish. lift them directly onto 6 dinner plates.

MASHED POTATO VOLCANOES WITH HOT LAVA

Steps:

• Put the diced potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.
• Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes.
• When the potatoes are done, drain them and transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Add the margarine and 1/2 cup milk and stir.
• Mash the potatoes well with a potato masher, then add a little salt if desired.
• In the meantime, make the "lava."
• Heat the 1 cup milk in a small saucepan.
• Dissolve the flour in just enough water to make it smooth and flowing.
• When the milk is hot, stir the dissolved flour slowly into the saucepan.
• Sprinkle in the cheese and stir until it melts.
• Simmer the mixture gently until smooth and thick.
• Stir the ketchup into the sauce, but leave some red streaks showing, so that it looks "fiery."
• Divide the mashed potatoes among 4 serving plates.
• Have everyone shape them into mountains, then press the tops down lightly to flatten, and finally make a small indentation at the very top with their thumb.
• Then, have the children arrange some of the broccoli florets around the base of the volcano.
• Let each child pour some of the "lava" into the indentation at the top of each "volcano" with a small ladle.
• It should flow down the sides.
• It's fine if it drips over the "greenery" too.
• Eat at once, before the lava solidifies into magma!