New Bedford Dad Turns Chicken Nuggets Into Jurassic Feast

If you're looking for that feel good story where a dad's gotta do what a dad's gotta do, then you've come to the right place.

When Rafael Flores’ kids asked for chicken nuggets, they probably weren’t expecting dinner straight out of Jurassic Park.

However, the New Bedford chef, also known for his work at Smashed NB on Purchase Street, couldn’t resist turning a simple request into a prehistoric masterpiece.

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From Kitchen to Cretaceous

Flores shared his dino-dinner on Instagram with the caption:

“When the kids ask for nuggets, but you're low-key auditioning for Jurassic Park catering. Call me Chef-saurus Rex. If Gordon Ramsay saw this, he'd roar louder.”

The imaginative plate featured mashed potatoes sculpted into a towering volcano, broccoli as miniature trees, dino-shaped chicken nuggets scattered around like roaming reptiles, and beef gravy poured down the sides for fiery “lava.”

Family Inspiration

Flores’ daughter Amiyah, 7, and son Romeo, 6, were the lucky taste-testers. Both attend Pulaski Elementary, and Amiyah also dances at Stagelights Dance Studio, where her creative spark helped inspire the idea.

“She got the idea from watching the videos with her friends at dance school,” Flores laughed.

Behind the Volcano

Wondering how he made the mashed potatoes reach such towering heights? Flores explained his kitchen hack.

READ MORE: The SouthCoast’s Weirdest Food Combinations

“I used a juice jug, foiled and taped it up, then grabbed my chef gloves and started forming a volcano," he said.

Cooking With Heart

Flores proved you don’t need Michelin stars to impress your kids – just a little creativity and love. What could have been a basic dinner became a memory Amiyah and Romeo won’t forget anytime soon.