Celeb mum Stacey Solomon swears by creating different animals out of snacks for her sons to keep them focused and entertained while eating. If your little one needs some encouragement, our friends at Mash Direct have created these delicious HEDGEHOG, LION and OWL recipes using their products, to make mealtimes more fun, healthy and stress-free…

MASHED POTATO HEDGEHOG

Ingredients:
Mash Direct Mashed Potato
Pack of your favourite Sausages

For decoration:
Olives
Cucumber

Method:

Cook your sausages as per pack instructions. While the sausages are cooking, prepare your decorations:

• Chop 3 black olives in half
• Chop the cucumber into slices, and half or third each slice to create grass spikes.
• Cook your Mashed Direct Mashed Potato as per pack instructions. Once cooked, place half the pack on each plate and shape with a spoon into the hedgehog body.
• Cut your cooked sausages into bitesize pieces and add these to the back for the hedgehog’s spikes.
• Add your olives for the eyes and nose, and finish with chopped cucumber for the grass.
• Serve immediately.

S-MASHING POTATO LION

Ingredients:

Mash Direct Potato Rosti
Mash Direct Carrot and Parsnip Fries
Red Pepper
Black Olives

Method:

• Cook the Potato Rosti and Carrot and Parsnip Fries as per on pack instructions.
• Slice the pepper into thin strips – these will be your lion’s whiskers!
• For the lion eyes and nose, cut black olives into slices.
• Now it’s time to assemble the dish – why not get the kids involved at this stage! Place the Potato Rosti in the centre of the plate, now surround the Potato Rosti with the Carrot and Parsnip Fries to act as your lion’s mane.
• Finally, place the black olives on the Potato Rosti for the eyes and nose and add the pepper slices for whiskers.
• Serve immediately to your cubs and enjoy!

CARROT & PARSNIP OWL

Ingredients:

1 pack of Carrot and Parsnip
1 pack of Green Cabbage
1 pack of Broccoli with a Cheese Sauce
Black Olives
1 carrot
2 sausages
1 cucumber

Method:

• Cook the Carrot and Parsnip, Green Cabbage and Broccoli with a Cheese Sauce as per on pack instructions.
• Place the sausages on an oven tray and cook under the grill for 12-15 minutes.
• Whilst the veg and meat are cooking, chop the cucumber into slices and then in half again – these will be used for the wings! Keep two slices whole for the owl eyes.
• Chop the black olive in half for the pupil of the eyes and cut the carrot as shown in the video to create the owl’s beak and feet!
• Once the veg and meat have cooked – arrange the Carrot and Parsnip on a plate in the shape of the owl body.
• Proceed to place the cucumber on top of the Carrot and Parsnip to make the wings and the eyes. Then put the olives on top of the cucumber for the pupils!
• Add the carrot feet and beak also.
• Place the cooked sausages by the carrot feet to resemble a branch.
• Finally – place the cooked Green Cabbage and Broccoli with a Cheese Sauce around the dish to look like a tree for your owl!
• Serve and enjoy.

Find more family meal time inspiration at mashdirect.com/recipies