21 Exciting Savory Ideas To Serve At Your Kid’s Pirate Party

by Ann Mifsud

Throwing a pirate-themed party for your kid? When we organized our son’s seventh birthday party, we chose 21 very exciting pirate-themed savory ideas, which all turned out to be a smash with our son and guests.

You may decide to go for all 21 exciting savory ideas and serve them at your kid’s pirate party or pick and choose the ones you like most.

1. 1. Cheesy Cannon Balls
   2. Skull and Cross Bones
   3. Peg Legs
   4. Dead Man’s Fingers
   5. Cannon Cheese Balls
   6. Pirate Sloops
   7. Squid Legs
   8. Veggie Anchor
   9. Cannon Meatballs
   10. Seaweed Wraps
   11. Pirate Cutters
   12. Seaweed Salad
   13. Captain’s Lunch Macaroni and Cheese
   14. Pirates’ Snack
   15. Pirate Nuggets
   16. Pirate Cheers
   17. Pirate Earring
   18. Pirate Daggers
   19. Treasure Map Pizza
   20. Pirate Tacos
   21. Boom! Popcorn

To make things even easier for you, we have also added the time each item will take to prepare.

This will hopefully make it less burdensome when you take a decision depending on the amount of time you have at hand.

We have categorized the 21 pirate-themed savory ideas into three; some actually require less than 10 minutes to put together, with very little or no preparation at all.

A list of others are medium-preparation, but won’t take more than 20 minutes to get done.

The third category of pirate-themed savory items warrant up to 40 minutes preparation at most.

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The common thing with the three categories mentioned above, however, is that they are all easy to make, irrespective of the preparation time required.

Even if you have no culinary background, each of these 21 pirate-themed savory ideas is a no-brainer to make. Most items include steps for you to follow, so you won’t have to stay guessing how to prepare them.

We have added a cool pirate-themed name to give each item that extra fiery touch.

Enjoy reading through these 21 exciting pirate-themed savory ideas, then make up your mind on those you will serve at your kid’s pirate party.

1. Cheesy Cannon Balls *

What you need

• Baby mozzarella balls
• Rucola
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

How to prepare Cheesy Cannon Balls

• Simply make a bed of rucola in a small clear pedestal dessert bowl or glass.
• Then fill with the baby mozzarella balls, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper on top.

How to serve

• Using a clear pedestal dessert bowl will make the layered ingredients stand out.
• If you have pirate sword cocktail sticks, make sure you insert two or on a couple of your mozzarella balls for a more complete pirate-themed look.

2. Skull and Cross Bones **

What you need

• White sandwich bread
• Cream cheese (or butter, or mayo)
• Ham slices
• Skull and cross bones cookie cutter (or anchor cookie cutter)
• Rucola or lettuce to garnish (optional)

How to prepare Pirate Cross Bones

• Spread the cream cheese (butter or mayo) on 2 slices of bread.
• Place a slice of ham on one of the slices of bread and close with the other slice.
• Cut out one or two shapes (depending on how large the sandwich is and the size of your cookie cutter).
• Repeat the process for as many skull and cross bones as you need.

How to serve

• Serve your pirate skull and cross bones on a red serving plate, garnished with rucola or lettuce (optional).
• If you don’t have a red serving plate, use any other plate that contrasts nicely with the tablecover you will clothe your food table with.

3. Peg Legs *

What you need

• Pretzels

How to serve

• Serve these simple pretzels in a nice jar to make them stand out on your food table.
• Decorate the top of the jar with some fancy twisted cotton thread rope (use different colors if you fancy).
• Stick a pirate skull and cross bones cut-out to complement the pirate look.

4. Dead Man’s Fingers *

What you need

• Cocktail sausages

How to prepare Dead Man’s Fingers

• Simply pre-heat the cocktail sausages in an oven or steamer.

How to serve

• Choosing a clear pedestal dessert bowl will allow your guests to see the sausages inside. A clear glass jar with a wide neck will also work well.
• Insert pirate sword cocktail sticks in the sausages for that perfect pirate touch.
• You may additionally decorate your bowl or jar by sticking a pirate-themed sticker to it.

5. Cannon Cheese Balls *

What you need

• Snack pack cheese balls

How to serve

• This simple item can be jazzed up by your choice of container. Go for a clear display jar or a clear pedestal bowl and decorate it with pirate stickers and some fancy cotton thread rope.
• Then fill it up with cheese balls and voila…you have just livened up a simple snack and got your kiddo some smacking cannon cheese balls.

6. Pirate Sloops **

What you need

• Shortcrust pastry boats
• Cream cheese
• Sweet corn kernels
• Cheese cubes cut in 0.4in (1cm) cubes (you need one for each pastry boat)
• Diced cucumber
• Diced red pepper (or tomato)
• Diced cheese cubes in 0.2in (0.5cm)
• Round ham slices in 2in (5cm) diameter

How to prepare Pirate Sloops

• Place a 0.4 (1cm) cheese cube in the middle of the shortcrust pastry boat.
• Cover the cheese and fill the boat with cream cheese.
• Gently place some sweet corn kernels, cucumber, red pepper, cheese on top of the cream cheese.
• Weave a slice of round ham in a pirate-themed cocktail toothpick to represent the sails on the Pirate Sloops.

How to serve

• For a deluxe look, flaunt your pirate sloops on black, mini elegant trays like these.
• Alternatively line them up nicely on a red serving plate.

7. Squid legs *

What you need

• 4in (10cm) long hot dog sausages

How to prepare Squid Legs

• Using a knife, slice each sausage lengthwise, stopping at about 1in (2cm) from the end.
• Place the cut sausages on an oven tray and bake at 180 Celcius (350 Fahrenheit) for about 3 to 5 minutes, until just slightly brown.
• You will notice they will open up and slightly curl, which is exactly what you want.

How to serve

• Serve the squid legs in a small pedestal bowl or any other bowl, with some of the ‘legs’ hanging out at the top.
• Decorate with pirate sword cocktail sticks.

8. Veggie Anchor **

What you need

• Cucumber (peeled and thinly sliced)

• Carrots (peeled and cut into sticks)

• Red pepper (deseeded and cut into strips)

How to prepare Veggie Anchor

• Start off by forming the shape of an anchor using the slices of cucumber.
• Start at the top to form the vertical line, then move on with the two horizontal halves, one on each side.
• Make a look at the top and then move on to the bottom of the anchor.
• Fill in the empty spaces surrounding the anchor, by placing carrot and pepper sticks.

How to serve

• Serving your anchor on a square-shaped plate works best.
• As a nice, add a nice cream cheese dip (with a tint of blue food coloring for the sea) as accompaniment to your veggie anchor.
• Your guests are sure to love dipping their veggies in this beautifully-colored cream cheese for a healthy snack.

9. Cannon Meatballs **

What you need

• Ready-bought meatballs (you could also make these if you wish)
• Pureed tomato sauce
• Finely-diced garlic and chopped onion
• Olive oil

How to prepare Cannon Meatballs

• Prepare the sauce by frying the garlic and onion in pan drizzled with olive oil, until they become soft.
• Add the pureed tomato sauce and leave to simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in another pan drizzled with olive oil, cook the meatballs from all sides or as per packet instructions.
• Once slightly browned, add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and leave to cook for a further 10 minutes on low heat.

How to serve

• Serve the Cannon Meatballs on a serving plate of choice.
• Pierce a couple of meatballs with pirate sword cocktail sticks if you have some.

10. Seaweed Wraps **

What you need

• Large green spinach tortillas (or wraps),
• Mayo
• Mango chutney
• Lettuce leaves
• Ham slices
• Shredded cheese
• Boiled egg (optional)

How to prepare Seaweed Wraps

• Open the green spinach tortillas flat.
• Spread mayo over half the spinach wrap and mango chutney on the other half.
• Cover with a layer of lettuce leaves.
• Place ham slices on one half of the wrap and spread the cheese over thme.
• (Optional) Place boiled egg slices on top.
• Fold the wrap into a roll and cut in half.

How to serve

• Place seaweed wraps on a red serving plate or any other plate of your choice.
• Finish them off with pirate-themed cocktail toothpicks.

11. Pirate Cutters **

What you need

• Hot dog buns
• Hot dog sausages
• Ketchup
• Baked beans (optional)

How to prepare Pirate Cutters

• Preheat oven at 140 Celcius (275 Fahrenheit), using only the lower heat element so that heat will come solely from the heating element at the bottom of the oven
• Slit the hot dog buns lengthwise. Make sure you don’t cut them right through.
• Place them on an oven rack in the middle of your oven.
• (Optional) Fill an oven tray with a thin layer of water and place it at the bottom of your oven. This will help steam the buns to make them soft.
• Meanwhile, cook hot dog sausages in a pan greased with oil. Alternatively, grill them.
• Place sausages in the hot dog bun and add some ketchup. Top your hot dogs with baked beans if you fancy.

How to serve

• Place pirate flags on kebab sticks on top of your hot dogs to make them look like pirate cutters.
• Present them on a red serving plate or any other plate you fancy.

12. Seaweed Salad **

What you need

• Green spinach tagliatelle (to represent seaweed)
• Finely diced onion
• Red pepper cut in slices
• Diced cucumber
• Black olives
• Small salami rounds
• Sweet corn kernels
• Mozzarella balls (or cheese cubes)
• Basil leaves (optional)

How to prepare Seaweed Salad

• Boil the green spinach tagliatelle as per instructions and drain.
• Drizzle some olive oil in a pan on a hob and cook the diced onion until soft.
• Once cooked, add the red pepper, cucumber, black olives, salami and sweet corn kernels. Toss the vegetables in the pan and turn off the hob.
• Add the drained pasta and leave to cool.
• Once cooled, add the mozzarella balls or cheese cubes.

How to serve

• Display your seaweed salad in a clear stylish serving bowl.
• Garnish with basil leaves (optional).

13. Captain’s Lunch Macaroni and Cheese ***

What you need

• Macaroni
• Onion (peeled and cut lengthwise)
• Bacon (cut into small cubes)
• Lots of shredded cheddar and parmesan
• White pasta sauce

How to prepare Captain’s Lunch

Use your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe or follow our easy, kid-friendly recipe hereunder.

• Boil the macaroni for round about half the time than stated on the packet instructions, drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile dice an onion and cook through in a pan drizzled with oil, then add bacon and continue cooking.
• Once onion and bacon are cooked through, add the white sauce until it starts to boil on low heat. Bring off the hob and add the pasta to it.
• Then transfer to a lightly-greased oven dish, adding layers of cheese in between and finishing off with the remaining cheese on top.
• Bake for around 15 to 20 minutes until the top layer is a golden color and crispy.

How to serve

• Display you macaroni and cheese in the oven dish you used (provided this is presentable).
• Otherwise serve in individual portions.

14. Pirates’ Snack *

What you need

• Ready-bought half-baked chicken wings or drumsticks (or prepare your own if you prefer)

How to prepare Pirates’ Snack

• Cook the wings or drumsticks on an oven tray in the oven for about 15 minutes or as per packet directions.

How to serve

• Serve on a nice serving tray or plate.

15. Pirate Nuggets *

What you need

• Ready-bought half-baked chicken nuggets (or prepare your own if you prefer)

How to prepare Pirate Nuggets

• Cook the nuggets on an oven tray in the oven for about 15 minutes or as per packet directions.

How to serve

• Serve on a nice serving tray or plate.

16. Pirate Cheers *

What you need

• Ready-bought half-baked potato smileys

How to prepare Pirate Cheers

• Cook the potato smileys on an oven tray in the oven for about 15 minutes or as per packet directions.

How to serve

• Serve on a nice serving tray or plate.

17. Pirate Earring *

What you need

• Ready-bought half-baked onion rings

How to prepare Pirate Earring

• Cook the onion rings on an oven tray in the oven for about 15 minutes or as per packet directions.

How to serve

• Serve on a nice serving tray or plate.

18. Pirate Daggers ***

What you need

• Chicken breast (cut into 10cm strips)
• Paprika
• Salt and pepper
• Pineapple cubes
• Red pepper (deseeded and cut into strips)
• Kebab skewers

How to prepare Pirate Daggers

• Season the chicken breast strips with paprika, salt and pepper.
• In a pan lightly drizzled with oil, cook the chicken breast strips until they are cooked through.
• Insert a kebab skewer into each chicken strip, then add a slice of red pepper slice and a pineapple cube for the handle of the dagger.

How to serve

• Serve on a nice serving tray or plate.

Note: Should you wish to, slightly pan fry the red pepper.

19. Treasure Map Pizza ***

What you need

• Half-baked ready bought (or homemade) rectangular pizza base
• Tomato sauce
• Oregano
• Shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese (or a mix of both)
• Black olives (halved lengthwise)
• 2 red pepper sticks
• 2 pre-steamed sausages
• Rucola leaves
• Parma ham slices (or thinly sliced ham)

How to prepare Treasure Map

• Spread tomato sauce on pizza base and sprinkle oregano on top.
• Cover with shredded cheese (mozzarella or cheddar), making sure you leave some of the red tomato paste underneath visible.
• Bake for the remaining time, until the base is cooked through and the cheese melted.
• Using a paring knife, shave the outer layer of two pre-steamed sausages so that you are left with the pink inner part. Place them at the top, left side of your pizza base. Then decorate the top parts with rucola leaves. These represent palm trees on your treasure map.
• Make a trail using the halved black olives, from one side of the pizza to the other, in a wave-like shape. Place the two red pepper sticks in the shape of a cross at the end of the olive trail.
• Using your parma ham slices, form two hills in the empty spaces on your pizza.

How to serve

• Serve your treasure map pizza on a wooden chopping board or a large flat serving tray

20. Pirate Tacos ***

What you need

• Chicken breast mince or diced
• Salt and pepper
• Lettuce (or finely shredded cabbage)
• Carrot (finely shredded)
• Tomatoes (sliced and then cut in halves)
• Shredded cheddar
• Taco sauce (optional)

How to prepare Pirate Tacos

• Season the chicken mince with salt and pepper and cook in a pan drizzled with olive oil.
• Meanwhile, heat the tacos as per instructions.
• Once tacos have been heated, fill them in by placing lettuce at the bottom, followed by the chicken mince, shredded carrots, tomato slices and cheddar cheese.
• You can add some taco sauce between the chicken and the carrots, if you fancy (optional).

How to serve

• Serve on a nice display plate or red serving plate.

21. Boom! Popcorn *

What you need

• Packet of ready-cooked popcorn (or microwave popcorn)

How to serve

• Serve in beautiful popcorn boxes in red and white stripes.

Final thoughts on 21 exciting savory ideas to serve at a kid’s pirate party

All 21 pirate-themed savory ideas are fun and super easy to make. You need not be super creative to make these a success. You also don’t have to possess any particular culinary knowledge, as each item is simple to put together. We promise all the above savories will look and taste amazing at your little one’s pirate-themed party.

Most of the 21 savory ideas above include easy-to-follow steps, most of which can even be carried out by kids wanting to help out. Additionally, each of the above pirate-themed food items comes with its own preparation time, so you can calculate which savories you can prepare for your kid’s pirate party.

Should you be interested, we also have another article featuring 12 Appetizing Pirate Party Sweets to complement your savories at your kid’s pirate party.

As you can see all items have pirate-themed names written on pirate-themed tents. Should you want to add these to your food items, these ones here look beautiful. You can easily edit the names to the items you choose to have displayed on your food table.

For our son’s seventh birthday party, we also created flags to stick on some of the food items. After we cut around them, we stuck them on kebab skewers. They added that final touch and continued to bring the pirate theme to life. 

With all 21 savory ideas to serve at your kid’s party, our son’s party was one huge exciting success. Our wish for you is that your kid’s party is equally smashing and so we hope that these ideas ignite your inspiration.

Enjoy!

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