Banana Boats
I'm currently in prep mode for a forthcoming competition this weekend. For the first time ever, I've found myself with an actual "team"—we have many friends coming out the entire weekend to help out, eat, and party. So on top of my sauces, rubs, and meats, I'm considering what I can cook for the team that's quick, simple, inexpensive, and doesn't take up much, or any, room in the already overstuffed coolers. Instantly I thought of these banana boats I made a Meatwave last year. For a grilled dessert, they're exceedingly easy and also quite the crowd pleaser.
I did have a moment of question about these though as I readied the post—they're so simple that I wondered if they could even be considered a recipe? My Mom put that thought to rest as she became instantly entrenched in fond memories of this banana dessert from her youth when she saw that I had made them. If they have that type of multi-generational staying power, they must be considered blog-worthy.
To make them, simply take a banana and cut a slit lengthwise through the peel. Then open up that cavern and stuff it with your favorite sweets—we did a mixture of chocolate, peanut butter, and mini-marshmallows for ours. Then place them over indirect heat on the grill, cover, and cook until the banana has softened and the chocolate has become a gooey, delicious mess.
The chocolate and peanut butter chips melted into that ubiquitous candy combo, which tasted great with the warm, creamy banana. The crisped marshmallows offered a bit of contrast in texture, and an additional cookout feel with their roasted flavor. They certainly check my boxes for a team dessert at the competition this weekend, doing it in tastiest of ways.
Banana Boats
- Yield 4 servings
- Prep 10 Minutes
- Cook 15 Minutes
- Total 25 Minutes
Ingredients
- 4 ripe yellow bananas
- 1 cup mini-marshmallows
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
Procedure
- In the peel, slice banana lengthwise, being careful not to slice all the way through the banana. Pry open sliced pocket and stuff with 1/4 of the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Top with 1/4 of the marshmallows. Repeat with remaining 3 bananas.
- Light one chimney 2/3 full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place bananas on cool side of grill, cover, and cook until bananas have completely softened and peels have blackened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from grill, let cool for 5 minutes, then eat with a spoon.
