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Mini Sandwich Bites made with pretzel bites are fun to add to your tailgating snacks party spread. Not only are these tiny bites simple to make, but they taste delicious too. Everyone will love these bite-sized sandwiches.
These little sandwiches work well beyond football season too – make them for baby showers, bridal showers, holiday open house parties, New Year’s Eve gatherings.
I have three different flavor varieties for you: Mini BLT Bites, Mini Caprese Sandwich Bites, and Mini Grilled Cheese Bites.
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How to make
These cute little simple sandwiches are a great idea for a party or for a crowd. Make as many as you like. They make great appetizers, or even after school snacks!
Plus, these little sandwiches are affordable budget friendly snacks!
To start, no matter which version you’re making (or if you’re making all of them), you’ll slice the pretzel bites in half.
I’ve found different brands of pretzel bites in different sections of the grocery store. Check the deli section, the bakery section, and the frozen section. I’ve found them in all these locations.
How to make grilled cheese Pretzel bites
Preheat toaster oven or regular oven to 350° F.
Cut cheddar cheese slices into bite sized pieces, about the same size as the pretzel bites. Place three slices of cheddar inside the pretzel bites. Place filled cheese sandwiches on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking tray.
And really, I suggest cheddar, but it can be any kind of cheese you like.
Bake for about 6 minutes or until cheese is melty. If the tops have slipped off of the sandwich, place them back on when you take them out of the oven.
Let the sandwiches cool for a minute so they can be picked up without the cheese melting out too much.
How to make BLT bites
Cook bacon. Feel free to use your preferred method to cook the bacon. I always cook it in the oven now. Keeps any mess in the oven and the work is minimal.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Slice bacon into small pieces. Bacon will shrink as it cooks, so make it a bit larger (about twice the size) than the pretzel bites.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Arrange bacon pieces on the baking sheet in a single layer. The slices can be close together or touching, but don’t let them overlap or they’ll stick together during cooking. Bake about 12 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy to your liking. Using tongs, transfer the bacon as each piece is done, to a plate lined with paper towels.
Any bacon that you cook up and don’t use can be stored in plastic ziptop bags in the fridge and reheated in the microwave.
Cut lettuce and slice tomatoes into small bite-sized pieces.
Spread the inside of the cut open pretzel bites with mayonnaise. Assemble mini BLT bites and secure sandwiches with a fancy toothpick.
How to make mini Caprese Sandwiches
Mix prepared pesto (try making homemade pesto) and mayo together in a small bowl in equal parts.
I like to get small shapes of fresh mozzarella for these sandwiches. It makes slicing them really easy.
Cut fresh mozzarella and slice tomatoes into small bite-sized pieces.
Spread the inside of the cut open pretzel bites with pesto aioli. Assemble mini Caprese bites with sliced mozzarella, tomato slice, and a fresh basil leaf, and secure sandwiches with a fancy toothpick.
Can I make sandwiches the night before a party?
If you’re hosting an event, mini sandwiches are great because they can be made ahead.
The pretzel bites are a bit sturdier than typical sandwich bread, so they won’t get as soggy when made in advance.
Now I do have a couple of pointers. Don’t use too much wet filling. And be sure to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge.
If you want to prep them longer than a day in advance, you can cut and prep all the fillings and keep them in separate containers, like ziptop bags, and assemble them the day of the party. You can also assemble the sandwiches without any mayo and let guests add their own, or dunk the sandwiches in a sauce like ranch or Italian dressing, to moisten them as they eat.
How many little sandwiches per person?
Of course, how many sandwiches will always vary based on what other kinds of foods you have at your party, the age of the guests, how big of an eater each person is, and length of the party. But in general, I like to plan on three to four little sandwiches per person.
Can I use other types of fillings for these?
Absolutely, these sandwiches take to your favorite fillings! Here are some starter ideas.
- And cold cuts from the deli will be great. Ham and cheese, turkey and cheese. Roast beef.
- Leftover Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce
- Hard salami and cheese form a charcuterie board
- Any veggies are great
- Hummus and tzatziki are great vegetarian options
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Recipe
Mini Sandwich Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- Mini Pretzel Bites
BLT
- Bacon
- Lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Mayonnaise
Caprese
- prepared pesto
- Mayonnaise
- Cherry tomatoes
- small fresh mozzarella
- basil leaf
Grilled Cheese
- Sliced cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Slice mini pretzel bites in half.
How to make BLT bites
- Cook bacon. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Slice bacon into small pieces. Bacon will shrink as it cooks, so make it a bit larger (about twice the size) than the pretzel bites. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Arrange bacon pieces on the baking sheet in a single layer. The slices can be close together or touching, but don’t let them overlap or they’ll stick together during cooking. Bake about 12 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy to your liking. Using tongs, transfer the bacon as each piece is done, to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Cut lettuce and slice tomatoes into small bite-sized pieces.
- Spread the inside of the cut open pretzel bites with mayonnaise. Assemble mini BLT bites and secure sandwiches with a fancy toothpick.
How to make mini Caprese Sandwiches
- Mix prepared pesto and mayo together in a small bowl in equal parts.
- Cut fresh mozzarella and slice tomatoes into small bite-sized pieces.
- Spread the inside of the cut open pretzel bites with pesto aioli. Assemble mini Caprese bites with sliced mozzarella, tomato slice, and a fresh basil leaf, and secure sandwiches with a fancy toothpick.
How to make grilled cheese Pretzel bites
- Preheat toaster oven or regular oven to 350° F.
- Cut cheddar cheese slices into bite sized pieces, about the same size as the pretzel bites. Place three slices of cheddar inside the pretzel bites. Place filled cheese sandwiches on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking tray.
- Bake for about 6 minutes or until cheese is melty. If the tops have slipped off of the sandwich, place them back on when you take them out of the oven.
- Let the sandwiches cool for a minute so they can be picked up without the cheese melting out too much.
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Debi
These are so much fun and easy to make. Fill them with your favorite sandwich fillings. Take them to the game, to church, or to a potluck! I hope you love them as much as we did! Debi, author, Life Currents