These Mini Grilled Cheese Sticks make a stylish, crowd-friendly appetizer for any party. Baked in the oven, they’re easy to prepare in large batches and reheat well when guests arrive. Serve with warm tomato soup poured into small shooters for convenient dipping.
I paired the sticks with tomato soup shooters to give the appetizer a grown-up touch, though kids love them too.
Option 2: Cut into squares and serve on toothpicks for elegant hors d’oeuvres.
Making a Grilled Cheese Appetizer
Triangular sandwiches are classic, but not ideal for dipping. These steps create long, dunkable sticks that are tidy and easy to serve:
1. Mix the Sauce
The sauce keeps the bread moist and adds flavor once the grilled cheese cools. Spread it on both sides of each slice before adding cheese.
2. Brush with Butter
Brush melted butter on the outside of each sandwich. The butter adds flavor and helps the bread brown evenly in the oven.
3. Add the Cheese
Use a melty cheese—cheddar, Colby Jack, Monterey, Swiss or Gruyère work well. Sprinkle shredded cheese on one slice and top with the other to form sandwiches.
4. Bake
Bake until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted. Flip halfway through baking for even browning. If you prefer, you can grill them on a griddle or flat top.
5. Cut & Serve
After baking, transfer sandwiches to a cutting board, trim off the crusts for a neat presentation, and slice each sandwich into thirds to produce perfect sticks.
Serve with Baked Potato Wedges alongside these sticks for a fuller spread.
The Soup Shooter
Serving the tomato soup in shooters elevates this appetizer. Warm store-bought or homemade tomato soup, then pour it into small heat-safe shooter glasses or sturdy plastic cups for dipping.
Avoid thin plastics that get too hot or soft when filled with hot soup; glass or high-quality plastic works best.
Party Serving Tips
These tips help you prep in advance and serve a crowd with minimal fuss.
- Bake and cut them ahead of time. Let the sandwiches cool completely before slicing to avoid messy, oozing cheese. Reheat briefly before serving.
- Use a serrated knife. A serrated blade slices cleanly without squashing the sandwich.
- Reheat: Warm sticks at 350°F for a few minutes when guests arrive.
- Do not use aluminum foil. Cheese can stick to foil; use parchment if lining a baking sheet.
- Keep warm with a chafing dish or electric warming tray. These tools maintain temperature for long parties.
What Makes This Recipe Unique?
The sauce is the star. A simple mix of mayonnaise, ketchup, garlic powder and onion powder brings a creamy, tangy flavor that complements the cheese and keeps the bread from drying out. It’s an easy “ketchup aioli” that also works on burgers, wraps and more.
Even those who aren’t usually fans of mayo tend to enjoy this sauce—it adds balance and moisture without overpowering the sandwich.
Related Appetizer Ideas
Crispy Zucchini Squash Chips • Smoked Salmon Crostini • Avocado Cream Cheese Wontons • Mini Canapé Toasts • Puff Pastry Garlic & Herb Pinwheels
Mini Grilled Cheese Sticks (w/ Soup Shooters)
Method
Nutrition
Notes
Ingredients
- 10 Slices Sandwich bread
- 1 ½ Cup Shredded Colby Jack Cheese (mixed works great)
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter (melted)
- ½ Cup Ketchup
- ½ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¾ Tsp Onion Powder
- ½ Tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ Tsp Salt (if using unsalted butter)
Method
- Mix the ketchup aioli and set aside.
- Lay bread slices on the counter and spread a spoonful of sauce on each side of every slice.
- Sprinkle about ⅓ cup of cheese evenly on one slice, then top with the other slice to form a sandwich.
- Brush melted butter on both sides and the edges of each sandwich.
- Bake at 374°F on the bottom rack for about 6 minutes or until browned. Flip and bake another 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting. Tip: Let sandwiches cool completely if you want to avoid oozing cheese when slicing; reheat briefly before serving. Trimming crusts improves presentation.
- Serve with warm tomato soup in shooters for dipping.
Nutrition
Calories: 278 kcal
Carbohydrates: 29.5 g
Protein: 8.5 g
Fat: 14.8 g
Notes
For parties I bake these a few hours ahead and allow them to cool completely before cutting so the cheese doesn’t ooze out. Reheat the sticks briefly in the oven just before serving.
Use any tomato soup you prefer—store-bought creamy tomato soup works fine. Warm it on the stove and transfer to a measuring cup with a spout for clean pouring into shooters.
Tried this recipe?
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