Carrot boats with cheese

Carrot boats with cheese are a delicious and filling hot appetizer that requires neither expensive, exotic ingredients nor any special culinary skills. This affordable dish can become a real centerpiece not only for an everyday lunch or dinner but also for a festive table.

The addition of aromatic allspice gives this vegetable delicacy a distinctive spicy flavor and may also contribute valuable nutrients to the diet. Allspice contains vitamin B6, which is involved in serotonin production, as well as vitamin C and a variety of minerals that participate in numerous metabolic processes. It also contains essential oils, with eugenol being one of the principal compounds. Eugenol is known for its antiseptic, antibacterial, and mild analgesic properties.

CraftOil offers a large and regularly updated selection of handcrafted, 100% natural products. Our catalog always includes organic allspice, supplied with a quality certificate and packed in convenient plastic jars on the very day your order is placed. We ship our products throughout Ukraine and worldwide, guaranteeing freshness and premium quality.

To learn more about our products, simply submit an inquiry through our website and wait for our managers to contact you.

Ingredients

To make carrot boats with cheese, you will need (serves 4):

• 2 large carrots (approximately 600 g / 1.3 lb);
• 300 g (10.6 oz) chicken fillet;
• 100 g (3.5 oz) hard cheese;
• 1 chicken egg (preferably C1 size);
• 1 teaspoon sour cream;
• 3–4 sprigs of fresh dill;
• 1 scant teaspoon vegetable oil;
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice;

Step-by-step preparation

Peel and wash the carrots, then boil them in water for 25–30 minutes. They should be almost fully cooked but still firm enough to hold their shape. Remove the carrots from the water and pat them dry. Cut each carrot lengthwise into two halves. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out some of the center of each half to create a small hollow, forming the carrot boats.

Grate the cheese or cut it into small cubes. Wash the dill and chop it as finely as possible.

Next, prepare the filling. Wash the chicken fillet and boil it in salted water until fully cooked, approximately 30 minutes. Allow it to cool, then finely chop it. Add the salt, ground allspice, sour cream, and egg. Mix everything thoroughly and let the filling rest for 10–15 minutes.

Place the prepared carrot boats on a baking sheet lightly greased with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Fill each carrot boat with the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with grated or diced cheese.

Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) for approximately 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.

The carrot boats are ready to serve immediately after baking. Sprinkle them with chopped fresh dill and, if desired, serve with ketchup or mayonnaise.

Notes:

If you prefer a spicier appetizer, you can add ground chili pepper and black pepper to the filling along with the allspice. These and many other spices and seasonings are always available in the catalog of the Ukrainian online store CraftOil.