I mean, what could be cuter! I came up with this whimsical dish to represent Captain Hook at Disney Dinners: Peter Pan but it would be a hit at any pirate party. My delicious zucchini boats have seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, ricotta cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese. I think kids will appreciate this adorable presentation that’s perfect for any pirate party!
This is a very inexpensive recipe to make and it’s as fun to make as it is to eat! If you’re making this for kids, you could let them decorate their sails before you poke the skewers through them. Another fun idea? Tint white rice blue so your pirate ship is sailing on water.
Zucchini Boat Pirate Ships3 zucchini
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1 tsp salt, pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
14.5 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup + 1 spoonful ricotta
1/2 cup Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese, shredded
Six bamboo skewers
2 sheets of computer paper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice ends off of zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 10-15 minutes at 400. Lower the temperature to 350 after you remove the zucchini.
- Make the filling: brown beef with onion in a large skillet over a medium flame. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried basil. When beef is nicely browned, add tomatoes to deglaze the pan. Lower the heat and stir in ricotta until combined.
- Stuff the boats with the filling and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes until zucchini is cooked through. Add shredded cheese for the last five minutes.
- While the boats are in the oven, cut each sheet of paper into four equal pieces. Poke a bamboo skewer through a quarter sheet, about one inch down from the top. Poke back through about an inch from the bottom to form a fail. Repeat with remaining “sails.”
- Serve each boat on a bed of rice (you could even tint white rice blue for a water effect) and pierce each pirate sail skewer through the zucchini.
