Mozzarella sticks by themselves are godsent already–tasty, gooey, and warm–nothing could go wrong. But you can make them better by pairing them with suitable dishes and dipping sauces.
Some great sides to serve with mozzarella sticks include corn dogs, bacon, garlic bread or carrot sticks. Mozzarella sticks are typically served with classic marinara sauce, but a good chili tomato sauce or honey mustard sauce would work just as well.
The food and dips I’ll be sharing with you today are just a few things you can pair with mozzarella sticks. There are many more out there, but reading this article will help you find the best ones.
Which Foods Go Well With Mozzarella Sticks?
A few foods that go well with mozzarella sticks are corn dogs and bacon. These comfort foods are incorporated into the mozzarella stick, adding flavor and textures. Other popular side dishes are garlic bread and celery & carrot sticks.
Corn Dogs
One common way to upgrade Korean corn dogs is to combine them with mozzarella sticks. Most stalls even offer mozzarella sticks as an add-on. But you won’t have to wait in line and pay up if you do it yourself, right?
To make corn dogs with mozzarella sticks, you need:
- Cornmeal
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Egg & Milk
- Frankfurters
- Skewers
- Mozzarella sticks
You can also toss in whichever seasonings are your favorite, but salt and pepper often does the trick. (source: Allrecipes).
Instead of skewering a whole hotdog or sausage, cut it in half. The mozzarella stick would replace the other half. Coat with batter, fry, and then serve with mustard!
Bacon
Bacon is a pretty versatile food–you can chop it up and throw it into pasta or wrap it around potatoes or mozzarella sticks.
It’s easy to see why they sound pretty good together–the crispy, sweet, and smokey flavor of bacon compliments the gooey, cheesy and salty mozzarella.
Making bacon-wrapped mozzarella sticks is as straightforward as it sounds. First, you take a piece of bacon and wrap the cheese stick. Secure with toothpicks, then fry it up (source: Tasty).
Garlic Bread
Another good side dish for mozzarella sticks is garlic bread. These are pretty common, and you can buy them at your local grocery store or bakery.
However, it’s pretty simple if you want to make one yourself. You just need some plain bread, such as a baguette or any crusty bread.
Then, you’d coat the bread with a butter mixture consisting of butter, oil, garlic, parsley, and salt. Toast or bake, then pair with mozzarella sticks (sources: Delish, Food Network).
Carrot and Celery Sticks
In a Food Network recipe, the author recommends serving their Buffalo Mozzarella Sticks with a side of carrots and celery. These vegetables can be served fresh and give a good crunch (source: Food Network).
Besides that, they are also a source of nutrients. Celery provides fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and other helpful compounds. Meanwhile, carrots can give vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber (source: Medical News Today).
What Sauces or Dips Go Well With Mozzarella Sticks?
Marinara sauce is the dip that goes best with mozzarella sticks. It’s a tomato-based sauce one can make from scratch or in a pack. Besides marinara, other sauces are chili tomato sauce, which adds kick and heat, and honey mustard sauce, which gives a sweetness and tang.
Marinara Sauce
When we think of dips and sauces for mozzarella sticks, most of our first thoughts would be marinara dipping sauce. Indeed, many mozzarella stick recipes suggest this as a side.
Marinara sauce is a timeless tomato-based red dip from Italy. You can use whole tomatoes for a chunkier texture or crushed ones for a smoother sauce.
Besides tomatoes, the recipe calls for oil and spices like garlic, onion, basil, pepper, and oregano. You can even add meat in (source: Delish)!
Some recipes also include a variety of veggies, such as celery and carrots. Meanwhile, others add heavy cream and pesto for more creamy texture and flavor (source: Food Network).
If you don’t want to make marinara from scratch, pre-made or instant packs are also available.
Chili Tomato Sauce
It might have popped into your mind that your mozzarella sticks lack a bit of kick and heat. Well, a side of chili tomato sauce would do that trick!
BBC Goodfood shares its mozzarella with chili tomato sauce recipe. The sauce needs only olive oil, red chilis, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar (source: BBC Goodfood).
The chili tomato sauce can be kept for a few days in the fridge, so you can take it out any time to pair it with your mozzarella cheese sticks.
Honey Mustard Sauce
Other recipes also suggest having honey mustard sauce as a mozzarella stick dip. This sweet and tangy flavor creation brings together the best of two worlds.
To make the honey mustard sauce, these are the ingredients you need:
- Mayonnaise
- Honey
- Yellow mustard
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon juice.
Just mix them all and store them in your refrigerator (source: Allrecipes).
Some of the best mozzarella stick sides are super easy to make and only require a handful of ingredients, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you can combine your favorite mozzarella sticks with bacon or corn dogs for an even more flavorful side dish.
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