What to Serve with Cheese Straws – 9 Best Sides

Cheese straws are the perfect party food for so many reasons.

They’re little, bite-sized bites of deliciousness that can be eaten as dips, appetizers, or snacks, making them ideal for a bite-size portion of whatever you’re serving.

They’re also often served as an amuse-bouche—a pre-meal treat that introduces your guests to their meal before the meal itself is served.

However, cheese straws aren’t just made for nibbling.

They’re also great for serving as an entrée on their own!

Whether you serve them as a snack before or after a meal or as an entrée, they’re sure to please your guests and make your party even more special.

Try serving up one of these sides to go with your cheese straws!

What to Serve with Cheese Straws – 9 Best Sides

There are lots of different sides you can serve with cheese straws. From salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes to snacks, there are a lot of different options. However, one of the best sides to serve with cheese straws is a salad. You can also add a drizzle of honey and some fresh mint leaves for a little extra kick.

Cheese straws are a go-to crowd-pleaser for any party or gathering.

But what should you serve with them?

You don’t want to overload your guests with too many carbs, but you also can’t leave them hanging if they’re not into cheese straws.

Here are nine great sides to pair with cheese straws:

1. Salad

Cheese straws have a strong cheese flavor and some people prefer to have vegetables in between bites to balance out that taste.

A salad is perfect for this.

You can make any type of salad that you want, but we recommend using fresh spinach leaves or romaine lettuce because they pair well with cheese as well as other ingredients like tomatoes and cucumbers.

We do not recommend using iceberg lettuce because it does not have enough flavor to complement the cheese flavor in these snacks.

2. Fruit

Another option is fruit.

Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are all great choices because they taste sweet and go well with salty foods like cheese or crackers respectively.

You could also try serving them alongside apple slices which provide a nice balance of sweet and tart flavors that will help balance out any overly rich flavors from other dishes at your party table such as spinach dip or nachos!

3. Potato salad

You can’t go wrong with potato salad as a side.

It’s a classic for a reason.

You just can’t beat the combination of potatoes and cheese, especially when you add in bacon, mayonnaise, and onions too. 

Just make sure that you serve your salad warm.

While we love a good cold potato salad, the warmth of this side dish balances out the buttery goodness of your cheese straws.

Plus, it’ll make your house smell incredible while it’s baking! (That’s not even counting the way that they make each other taste.)

And don’t be afraid to experiment with different ingredients!

Potato salad is always delicious but it’s even better when you change up the recipe.

Just keep in mind that you’ll want to stick with ingredients that complement your cheese straws rather than overpowering them.

4. Garlic bread

Also known as garlic toast, garlic bread is a popular side dish that goes great with your cheese.

It’s simple to make and has a great flavor.

One of the best parts about it is that it won’t overpower the flavors of your other dishes, which makes it a perfect companion for this type of meal.

If you’re going to make garlic bread, you can either use ciabatta or French bread.

The former is more traditional, but the latter is also perfectly fine if you want something with a more rustic flavor.

If you don’t have either of these types of bread, any other type will suffice.

5. Roasted Vegetables

Roasted vegetables are a great way to add some serious flavor to your cheesy snack.

Because cheese straws are a little bit dry, you’ll want to balance them out with something nice and juicy.

Roasted vegetables have lots of moisture, which makes them a perfect companion for cheese straws.

You can take just about any kind of vegetable and roast it, but the best ones for adding flavor to your cheese straws are those that are good for roasting in the first place: tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, rutabagas.

Of course, you can always go off the beaten path and try less common roasted vegetables like brussels sprouts or beets.

The more adventurous you get with your roasted vegetables, the more interesting your side dish will be.

6. Meat Platters

A meat platter usually consists of three or four different types of cold cuts, served with bread and condiments.

Some popular meats to include are salami, bologna, prosciutto and pepperoni.

The meats can be served on a wooden board or small plates, depending on the size of your party.

If your guests are fans of spicy foods, you might also consider serving jalapeño peppers with your meat platter.

These can be sliced into thin strips and added to the platter.

Alongside the meat platter, it’s customary to serve bread as well.

This can be a loaf of sliced bread or individual rolls for each guest to use as they see fit.

You might also want to provide condiments such as mustard or mayonnaise for your guests to use with their sandwiches.

7. Hummus

A classic party favorite, hummus pairs really well with both cheesy snacks like cheese straws as well as vegetable-based snacks like celery sticks or carrots.

It’s also a great choice if you’ve got any vegans or vegetarians at your get-together, since most brands of hummus are vegan (and delicious).

You can choose pre-made hummus from your grocery store’s refrigerated section or make your own, depending on how much time you have!

8. Zucchini Chips

These crispy little morsels are a delicious, low-calorie substitute for potato chips when you want to eat something salty and crunchy.

They’re also pretty easy to make, and the best part is that they actually taste like zucchini.

That might not sound like a ringing endorsement, but trust me—they’re good!

Here’s how you can make them in your own kitchen:

Take some zucchini slices (a mandoline slicer is the best way to get these nice and thin), rub them with olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, then bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until they’re golden brown and crispy—about 20 minutes or so.

9. Pasta Salad

When it comes to pasta salad, the world is your oyster.

You can make it with any type of pasta you want—thick spaghetti noodles, spiraled fusilli, and even elbow macaroni all work wonderfully—and you can dress it up with whatever toppings you’d like!

Olives, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are all great options.

Meanwhile, you can use any kind of dressing you want—but we recommend a classic creamy Italian dressing that’s been whisked together with red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, and black pepper.

This way, your pasta salad will taste perfectly balanced alongside your cheese straws.

If you’re looking for a little inspiration for what kind of pasta salad to make for your next get-together (or just for yourself), check out our favorite recipe here!

What dip to serve with cheese straws?

If you’re serving cheese straws as appetizers, then you should definitely serve a dip with them.

The dip should be something that complements the cheese straws, and that you can eat with the straws.

For example, a creamy or cheesy dip such as guacamole or pimento cheese.