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Our Best Cheese Straws, Bites, and Crackers

Our Best Cheese Straws, Bites, and Crackers

Updated December 03, 2012

Credit: Oxmoor House

For a chic appetizer alternative, try cheese straws. We've got flavors ranging from olive-blue cheese to bacon-smoked paprika.

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Basic Cheese Straw Dough

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Basic Cheese Straw Dough Recipe

Start with this Basic Cheese Straw Dough then and let your imagination run wild with shapes and flavors.

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Parmesan-Basil-Cheddar Stars

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Parmesan-Basil-Cheddar Stars Recipe

Give cheddar cheese straws a facelift with these sweet, star-shaped "straws" that combine the savory Mediterranean flavors of parmesan and basil.

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Pecan-Rosemary-Cheddar Buttons

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Pecan-Rosemary-Cheddar Buttons Recipe

Nutty pecans and earthy rosemary combine to create a robust riff on the average cheddar cheese straw.

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Olive-Blue Moons

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Olive-Blue Moons Recipe

These cheddar crescents pack a salty punch from the Spanish olives but have a cooling finish from blue cheese.

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Pimento Cheese Squares

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Pimento Cheese Squares Recipe

A Southern staple, pimento cheese makes its debut in cheese straw, or rather, cheese square form. Serve them as an appetizer at your next Southern-inspired soiree.

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Bacon-Smoked Paprika-Cheddar Bars

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Bacon-Smoked Paprika-Cheddar Bars Recipe

Sharp cheddar cheese gets a warming welcome from the smokey flavors of bacon and paprika.

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Lemon-and-Black-Pepper Cheese Straws

Lemon-and-Black-Pepper Cheese Straws Recipe

Cheese straws have never been easier. Add parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and black pepper to frozen puff pastery for an instant elegant take on cheese straws.

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Cheddar-and-Black Sesame Cheese Straws

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Linda Hirst

Cheddar-and-Black Sesame Cheese Straws Recipe

Black sesame seeds give these cheddar cheese staws a bold look, while Dijan mustard gives them a bold taste.

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Spicy Cheddar "Long" Straws

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Spicy Cheddar "Long" Straws Recipe

These spicy straws will are an elegant addition to an appetizer table. Serve them in silver cups or on silver trays.

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Blue Cheese and Chive Straws

Credit: Sang An; Styling: Christina Wressel

Blue Cheese and Chive Straws Recipe

At only 47 calories per straw, these Blue Cheese and Chive Staws are an easy and slimming appetizer. Make up to two days ahead, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Prosciutto-and-Manchego Cheese Straws

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Prosciutto-and-Manchego Cheese Straws Recipe

It’s not a party without cheese straws, and we made these extra special for the occasion with additions such as nutty Manchego cheese and salty prosciutto.

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Cheddar Cheese Straws

Credit: Lee Harrelson

Cheddar Cheese Straws Recipe

Savory and rich with just a bit of a peppery bite, cheese straws are great party snacks. They're especially easy to make and travel well.

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Jalapeño Cheese Straws

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Jalapeño Cheese Straws Recipe

We know: You've got a cheese straw recipe you can make with your eyes closed. But give this subtly spicy recipe (that impressed our Test Kitchen staff!) a try.

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Pimiento Cheese Crackers

Credit: Stacey Ballis

Pimiento Cheese Crackers Recipe

Here is the approximate way my thinking went when I was dreaming up these crackers:

I have delicious pimiento cheese. I should eat that.

It will be best upon a cracker.

What type of cracker would be the superior vehicle for the cheese?

Sweet Fancy Moses, what if the cheese WERE THE CRACKER?????

(Duuuuuuude.)

After all, in my forays into cracker-making I had discovered that many crackers are just fat and flour and seasonings. And I had made cheese crackers which were just fat and flour and seasonings and cheese. Well, pimiento cheese is cheese and fat and seasonings, so what would happen if I just added flour and baked it?

Magic, people, this is what happens, pure alchemical wizardry.

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Cheddar Cheese Snack Crackers

Credit: Oxmoor House

Cheddar Cheese Snack Crackers Recipe

Skip the store-bought version and create your own cheesy snack crackers for afternoon snacking.

Replay gallery

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Our Best Cheese Straws, Bites, and Crackers

1 of 15

Basic Cheese Straw Dough

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Parmesan-Basil-Cheddar Stars

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Pecan-Rosemary-Cheddar Buttons

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Olive-Blue Moons

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Pimento Cheese Squares

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Bacon-Smoked Paprika-Cheddar Bars

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Lemon-and-Black-Pepper Cheese Straws

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Cheddar-and-Black Sesame Cheese Straws

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Spicy Cheddar "Long" Straws

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Blue Cheese and Chive Straws

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Prosciutto-and-Manchego Cheese Straws

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Cheddar Cheese Straws

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Jalapeño Cheese Straws

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Pimiento Cheese Crackers

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Cheddar Cheese Snack Crackers

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