These 20 side dishes are perfect for serving alongside mozzarella sticks. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a hearty dish, a healthy dish, or something super quick to make.
The best dishes to serve with mozzarella sticks are pigs in a blanket, tomato soup, meatballs in marinara, and jalapeno poppers. If you want more filling dishes, try pesto pasta or a sheet pan pizza. For more party dishes, try chicken wings, Italian sub sliders, totchos, spinach balls, or ribs.
Pigs in a blanket
Your game day spread won’t be complete without a platter of these smoky treats.
Ditch the frozen ones – the homemade version is super easy to make. And this recipe has a couple of tasty additions to take your treats up a notch.
Psst… Like mozzarella sticks, pigs in a blanket go superbly with a marinara dip.
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Pigs in blankets
Go British
British style pigs in blankets
Make it saucy
Slow cooker smokies
Tomato soup
Want to turn your mozzarella sticks into the ultimate comfort meal?
Serve your cheesy treats alongside a piping hot bowl of creamy tomato soup.
Just imagine dipping your salty mozzarella stick into your soup’s thick, sweet, and tangy broth – simply delightful.
And you only need 25 minutes to cook a batch.
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Homemade tomato soup
Make a favorite
Cream of mushroom soup
Make it dairy-free
Carrot ginger soup
Meatballs in marinara
These meatballs are great because you’re hitting two birds with one stone.
Not only are you getting tasty meatballs, but you’re also getting a delectable marinara sauce that’s perfect for dipping mozzarella sticks and other party food into (like little smokies).
Prick each meatball with a toothpick and you’re ready to serve.
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Meatballs in marinara sauce
Change the flavor
Hoisin-glazed cocktail meatballs
Go Greek
Greek turkey meatballs
Honey garlic chicken wings
Chicken wings are another staple at game day parties.
And my go-to chicken wing flavor is honey garlic for that sweet-savory combo everyone will love.
Psst… this is your sign to get an airy fryer – you get beautifully crispy skin without using too much oil.
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Air fryer honey garlic chicken wings
Preheat the oven
Oven-baked chicken tenders
Make it kid-friendly
Homemade chicken nuggets
Grilled prosciutto-wrapped peaches
Add some gourmet flair to your party spread with these prosciutto-wrapped peaches.
Grilling the peaches gives them a sweet-smoky flavor that pairs well with the salty prosciutto.
And it means they’re extra juicy – so have napkins on hand!
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Grilled prosciutto-wrapped peaches
Switch the fruit
Prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe
Keep it savory
Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus
Spinach balls
Wanting to keep everything meat free?
You can’t go wrong with these spinach balls, and they’re a great way to sneak some veggies into picky eaters.
The ‘meat’ of the ball is made with stuffing (cool, right?!), then it’s flavored with spinach and parmesan cheese. Yum.
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Spinach balls
Skip the leafy greens
Zucchini and garlic bites
Make it plant-based
Vegan cranberry meatballs
Oven baked ribs
Nothing comes close to the satisfaction of eating these sticky ribs as you cheer on your favorite team.
You’ll need to start the prep early because these ribs take over 3 hours to cook. But in the end you’ll have tender, fall-of-the-bone meat.
For maximum enjoyment, make extra barbecue sauce to drizzle over your mozzarella sticks.
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Oven-baked ribs
Fire up the smoker
Smoked baby back ribs
Make another favorite
Pulled pork with BBQ sauce
Balsamic tomato salad
Whether you’re having mozzarella sticks as a quick snack or a lazy dinner, make them healthier with a serving of this salad.
The bright balsamic vinaigrette makes the classic combination of tomato and basil even more delicious.
And provides a sharp flavor to cut through the greasy sticks.
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Balsamic tomato salad
Go Italian
Panzanella salad
Make it refreshing
Tomato cucumber salad
Totchos
Looking for something fun and different? Look no further than totchos!
It’s a jazzed-up version of traditional nachos, with tater tots taking the place of tortilla chips.
You can keep it simple with classic toppings like black beans, avocado, and sour cream…
Or go crazy with pulled pork and peach salsa.
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Totchos
Stick with the basics
Sheet pan nachos
Make it low-carb
Cauliflower nachos
Sheet pan alla vodka pizza
Pizza and mozzarella sticks is a takeout favorite.
But why not make your own pizza instead?
This recipe features a deliciously spicy and creamy tomato pesto vodka sauce topped with cheese and pepperoni.
Sounds amazing right?
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Sheet pan alla vodka pizza
Make it quick
Caramelized mushroom flatbread pizza
Make it fun
Pizza poppers
Chili
Winter is the perfect time to whip up a pot of this hearty, soul-warming chili.
It boasts a robust flavor, thanks to ingredients like Worschersterhisre, steak sauce, spices, and brown sugar. So don’t forget a dollop of sour cream to help mellow it out.
Psst… if it’s nearing halloween try this spooky ghost chili (and here are some ideas on what to serve with your white chicken chili).
Why we love this recipe: everyone will be clamouring for second helpings of this.
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Best chili
Skip the beans
Texas chili
Make it vegan
Chickpea vegetable chili
Hot Italian sub sliders
These Italian sub sliders are great when you’re feeding a crowd.
This recipe is one for the meat lovers, with each sub having three kinds of deli meat, provolone cheese, and peppers.
And the cherry on top is a luscious melted butter glaze that gives your sliders a glossy, golden-brown appearance.
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Hot Italian sub sliders
Make a classic
Sloppy joe sliders
Make it meatless
Roasted veggie sliders
Pesto chicken and broccoli pasta
Mozzarella sticks make a perfect starter for pretty much any Italian main.
And everyone’s favorite Italian main is pesto pasta (or maybe pizza)!
Pro tip: make your own pesto… it’s worth it.
And check out more ideas on what to serve with pesto pasta here.
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Pesto chicken and broccoli pasta
Make a favorite
Chicken fettuccine alfredo
Make it low-carb
Spaghetti squash marinara
Shrimp cocktail
The only cooking you’ll be doing for this dish is baking the shrimp (and this only takes 10 minutes).
The rest of the work is putting together the finger-lickingly good cocktail sauce. Just like with pesto, it’s always best to make this sauce yourself.
The jarred stuff just isn’t the same!
Psst… your mozzarella sticks go great with this sauce too.
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Shrimp cocktail
Make it crunchy
Firecracker shrimp
Make it Chinese-inspired
Fried shrimp balls
Buffalo Chicken Dip
I mentioned mariana dip for mozzarella sticks, but you don’t have to stop there!
Go for a more loaded option to beef up your meal.
This dip uses 5 ingredients, but is jam-packed with tangy buffalo flavor and two types of cheese (cheddar and mozzarella).
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Buffalo chicken dip
Go green
Spinach artichoke dip
Make it cheesy
Beer cheese dip
Jalapeno poppers
Jalapeno poppers are another delicious party food you can serve alongside mozzarella sticks
They’re fun to make, and even more fun to eat.
Psst… make a double batch of these because they will disappear quickly.
And they’re budget friendly, with a serving costing only $0.41.
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Baked jalapeno poppers
Make it easy
Pickled jalapenos
Skip the spice
Stuffed mini bell peppers
Vegetable spring rolls
Party food can be healthy too!
These fresh spring rolls are stuffed with crisp, natural vegetables and creamy avocado.
But what really makes this dish stand out is the peanut sauce – it’s savory, nutty, and oh-so-delicious.
These vegetable spring rolls are great to give your guests a break from all the indulgent food.
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Vegetable spring rolls
Skip the wrapper
Rainbow collard green spring rolls
Make it crispy
Vietnamese fried spring rolls
Garlic parmesan knots
There’s something irresistibly comforting about warm, freshly baked bread, and these garlic parmesan knots are no exception. They’re soft, fluffy, and loaded with the classic flavors of garlic and cheese (they also make your house smell amazing).
And they’re just as fun to make as they are to eat – tying the dough into knots adds a playful touch to your cooking routine and the kids will love it. A guaranteed crowd pleaser.
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Garlic parmesan knots
Keep it classic
Simple homemade dinner rolls
Add a twist
Rosemary and sea salt pretzel knots
Crispy polenta fries
For a sophisticated twist on the classic fry, look no further than crispy polenta fries. Made from cornmeal, these fries have a crunchy outside with a soft, creamy inside.
This recipe keeps the seasoning simple, but you can go wild and try whatever you want. I once used desiccated coconut in my seasoning and it was fantastic. Psst… the ‘fries’ are perfect for dipping in your favorite sauces.
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Crispy polenta fries
Make it spicy
Cajun polenta fries
Keep it simple
Oven wedges
Stuffed mini bell peppers
Mini bell peppers, with their vibrant colors and sweet flavor, make the perfect edible cups for a savory filling.
Fill them with a mixture of goats cheese and chopped herbs, and perhaps some crispy bacon they have flavor in every bite. And they’re a super fun way to make sure there’s some veggies in your meal.
You can also keep it simple with cream cheese.
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Stuffed mini bell peppers
Make it hearty
Mini bell peppers stuffed with taco meat
Swap the veggie
Stuffed tomatoes
What To Serve With Mozzarella Sticks [20 Sides]
Ingredients
- 1 portion mozzarella sticks
Instructions
- Prepare your mozzarella sticks according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: pigs in a blanket, tomato soup, meatballs in marinara, honey garlic chicken wings, grilled prosciutto-wrapped peaches, spinach balls, oven baked ribs, balsamic tomato salad, totchos, sheet pan alla vodka pizza, chili, hot Italian sub sliders, pesto chicken and broccoli pasta, shrimp cocktail, buffalo chicken dip, jalapeno poppers, and vegetable spring rolls.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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