Thank you to Crunchmaster for sponsoring this post.
Snacks and the Super Bowl have gone hand in hand for as long as I can remember. For my family, we almost always either attend or host a watch party, and while I am not exactly the biggest football fan, I love all the fun and festivities that go into it. Personally, I’m more inclined to cheer on the foods I see at game day gatherings than anything else, which as you know are usually packed to the gills with fabulous munchies. This year we are having a few friends over to watch the game and spend some time catching up, and while we aren’t doing a big fiesta, the snack table will definitely be there. Finger foods like pretzels, potato skins, and cheese sticks have always been sports party staples for me, and for one of this year’s feature snacks I wanted to get creative and go a little out of the box. I started with a basic cheese stick recipe and built from there, and it turned into these amazing Loaded Cracker Crusted Mozzarella Sticks!
These are part potato skin, part mozzarella stick, with a crunchy cracker crust that is perfect for munching, and they aren’t nearly as decadent as you would think. Typical offerings at Super Bowl parties tend to be on the indulgent side, and can often be greasy, heavy, and contain about a million calories. At our house, though, we like to lighten things up and go for fresher flavors that are more nutritionally fulfilling. Since that isn’t always what people want to cheer on their favorite teams with, I found a happy medium by using smart ingredients like Crunchmaster Original Multi-Seed crackers. These 100% whole grain, gluten-free & non-GMO verified crackers are kosher, contain no artificial colors or flavors, and are free of saturated and trans fats. They are made with wholesome ingredients like brown rice, quinoa, flax, corn, chickpea, and edamame, which is so much better than the traditional breadcrumb/butter/oil coating of traditional mozzarella sticks. Another thing that sets these sticks apart is that they are baked, not fried, which eliminates the heavy, greasy feeling that happens with fried foods.
Now that we have the basics out of the way lets get started! There is a full video of the recipe at the end of the post, so if anything is confusing be sure to check it out! This recipe will take you less than 30 minutes, and it is great for any kind of party. Here is what you will need (makes 10 sticks, but you can double for larger crowds):
- 3 large Russet potatoes
- Package of individually wrapped string cheese sticks (any flavor)
- Bag of Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers
- 1/2 cup finely diced green onions
- 1/3 cup fat free sour cream
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- all purpose flour (for coating)
- 1 egg, beaten
First, peel your potatoes. Roughly dice them into chunks, then boil for 5 minutes to soften up. While boiling, unwrap all of your cheese sticks and cut each in half, then set them aside.
Once the potatoes are boiled, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add in your green onions, sour cream, and shredded cheese, mashing everything together until you have the consistency of thick mashed potatoes.
Set potatoes aside for a minute, and pour your crackers into a large zip top bag. Seal the bag, crush with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs, and pour them onto a shallow plate.
Next, set up your dipping/rolling station by setting out your potato bowl, cracker crumb plate, cheese sticks, a shallow plate with flour, and a wide bowl with your egg. This is how you build your sticks:
- Grab one cheese stick along with a small scoop of potatoes, flatten the potatoes in your hand and wrap it around your cheese stick. Roll between your hands a few times, and set on a piece of parchment.
- When all sticks are rolled, one by one, roll in flour, followed by egg, followed by cracker crumbs. Make sure to get a nice thick layer of cracker crumbs so nothing spills out during cooking.
- Do a final roll between your hands to seal everything in place, then set on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick.
Lastly, pop in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Since times vary, start checking at 8 minutes to make sure they don’t burst! Serve with your choice of sauce, dressing, or other toppings. I serve mine with a “lighter” Ranch dressing that is 1 cup plain Greek yogurt mixed with a packet of Ranch dressing seasoning.
Want to experiment with flavors? Try using different potato mix-ins, different cheeses, or different Crunchmaster crackers – they offer some great varieties for any #CrunchTimeRecipe!
And, as promised, here is the full how-to video on these super easy, super delicious game day snacks:
