A note from Annabel…
“It’s really important to involve children in cooking from an early age. They can help scoop out the potato flesh, mix in the ingredients and mash it all together. Children will love helping you decorate these to look like mice.
Butternut squash is very rich in vitamin A which is important for healthy skin, eyesight and fighting infection. Just 5 ounces provides approximately 300% of your vitamin A needs for the day.
Another good nutritious filling for baked potatoes is to mash the potato with a little mayonnaise, milk and grated Cheddar and then mix in a little drained canned corn, tuna, and chopped scallions.”
INGREDIENTS
4 medium baking potatoes (approximately 1/2 pound each)
Vegetable oil
1/2 medium butternut squash (approximately 3/4 pound)
3 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
FOR DECORATION
4 small cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)
Chives
4 radishes
Raisins
Scallions
DIRECTIONS
Prick the potatoes in several places, place on a cookie sheet and brush all over with oil. Bake in an oven preheated to 375°F for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until they feel soft when pressed.
Cut a medium butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and brush with a pat of melted butter. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until tender.
When cool enough to handle, cut the tops off the baked potatoes and scoop out the flesh. Scoop out the flesh of the cooked butternut squash and mash together with the baked potato flesh, mustard, Parmesan, milk, and butter. Season with a little salt and pepper. Put the mixture back into the potato shells, cover with the grated Cheddar and cook under a pre-heated broiler for a few minutes until golden.
Fix a small cherry tomato into each of the potatoes using a toothpick for the noses. Add some short lengths of chives for the whiskers--you can tuck these behind the tomato. Decorate with halved radishes for the ears, raisins for the eyes and scallions for the tails.
Serve with an 8 ounce glass of your favorite Fruit Simple® Fruit Smoothie.
Not suitable for freezing.
