Dishes that appeal to younger guests on board.
We love introducing children to boating, fishing, and sailing. While we do not have children, we have nieces and nephews, young cousins, and lots of friends with kids. Little ones always get hungry aboard and often enjoy eating a variety of foods and making their own easy snacks. Here are some of our younger guest’s favorite dishes. All recipes serve four adults or six kids.
Make-Your-Own Personal Pan Pizza
4-6 premade 12-inch pizza crusts (e.g., Boboli, Stonefire) or large pita bread or naan
8 oz. olive oil
16 oz. jarred
pizza sauce or thick tomato sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings:
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz. parmesan cheese, shredded (or cheddar or Swiss cheese)
8 oz. pepperoni, sliced
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 sweet onion, sliced thin
8 oz. can black olives, sliced
Other toppings of your choice (ham, pineapple, sausage slices, marinated artichokes, pickled peppers, basil)
For serving: ranch dressing, crushed red pepper, and Italian seasoning (optional)
Light the grill, set to high (or preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Place the toppings in separate bowls or in separate heaps on a platter. Spread a layer of pizza sauce on each crust and a thin layer of mozzarella cheese. Encourage children to place their favorite toppings in a design of their choice on their personal pizza. Top with a thin layer of parmesan and grill (or bake) for 3-10 minutes (depends on the thickness of the pizza crusts). Premade pizza crusts may go directly on grill grates, but oven-baked pizzas are best cooked on a sheet pan. Remove pizzas when the crust browns a little and the cheese melts. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper and cut into slices. Serve with ranch dressing, crushed red pepper, and Italian seasoning on the side.
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Make-Your-Own Fruit and Cheese Skewers
8 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed
8 oz. Swiss cheese, cubed
8 oz. each seedless grapes, strawberries, pineapple, or melon, cubed
8 oz. dried apricots
12 wooden skewers
8 oz. vanilla yogurt or other fruit-flavored yogurt
Arrange cheeses and fruit on a platter or in a snackle box. Give each child his or her own skewer, and encourage them to place their favorite fruit and cheese combinations along their personal skewers. If they wish, they can dip their fruit skewers in yogurt.
Bacon Ranch Tortilla Pinwheels
8 oz. whipped or softened cream cheese
1/4 cup ranch dressing
Four 8-inch or 10-inch flour tortillas (white, green, red, or a mixture)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup bacon bits or chopped bacon*
1 Tbsp. minced chives or other onions
6 lettuce leaves
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and ranch and mix until smooth. Spread mixture generously over one side of a tortilla. Top the tortilla with shredded cheddar, bacon, chives, and lettuce leaves. Roll tortillas tightly and chill in the refrigerator until serving. When ready to serve, slice each tortilla into one-inch pinwheels. If you wish, heat pinwheels in a skillet or in the oven or on a grill to warm them and melt the cheese.
*Other delicious pinwheel protein options include sliced deli turkey or chicken, thin-sliced roast beef or ham, tuna salad, or smoked salmon.
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Make-Your-Own Veggies and Dip Cups
12 short, transparent, plastic cups
16 oz. ranch dressing, onion dip, spinach dip, or hummus (or other creamy dip)
1 large cucumber, sliced into sticks
1 bunch celery, cut into short stalks
1 bag baby carrots
1 green bell pepper, cut into slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into slices
12 oz. cherry tomatoes
Hand each child a plastic cup. Arrange dips/dressings in bowls with spoons and place vegetables in rows on a platter. Encourage each child to spoon their favorite dip into the bottom of the cup and top with an assortment of their favorite veggies to dip.
-by Lori Ross
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