Cheesy Breadsticks Recipe
Cheesy breadsticks recipe made with pizza dough, garlic butter, Alfredo sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan for an easy appetizer everyone loves!!!
This cheesy breadsticks recipe is actually from my appetizer cookbook, and it’s one of the recipes that surprised me the most when I started serving it to people. The first time I brought a batch to our friends, they absolutely disappeared.
But it makes sense because cheesy breadsticks are basically the appetizer version of table bread. There is just something about putting a warm, cheesy, grabbable carb in the middle of a group of people. Everyone casually takes one, and then another, and suddenly the entire plate is gone.
The Origin Story
In my college town, the go to late night food was a box of cheesy breadsticks from one of the local pizza places. They were pretty basic. Pizza dough, lots of cheese, cut into strips, with a side of sauce for dipping. But at 11 PM after a night out? Quite the knockout.
My version takes that general idea and adds two things: garlic butter and a layer of alfredo sauce underneath all the mozzarella and Parmesan.
The Secret is What’s Underneath the Cheese
Most cheesy breadsticks are exactly what they sound like: dough + cheese.
Very good. No complaints.
But these have a little more going on. Before the cheese goes on, the pizza dough gets brushed with homemade garlic butter made with melted butter, Parmesan, garlic powder, dried chives, onion powder, and the tiniest bit of sugar.
Then comes the Alfredo sauce.
You only need a few tablespoons. It’s just enough to add a thin, creamy layer underneath the mozzarella that makes the finished breadsticks extra cheesy and saucy and levels the whole thing up from just melted cheese on bread.
Then pile on shredded mozzarella and Parmesan and bake until everything is bubbly and golden.
It’s essentially the grown-up version of the cheesy bread I loved in college. Although I would also very happily eat these at midnight.
You Don’t Need to Make Homemade Pizza Dough
Could you make homemade dough? Absolutely.
Am I going to require that of you when perfectly good pizza dough is sitting in the refrigerated section of the grocery store? Absolutely not.
I usually use the premade pizza dough from Wegmans or Trader Joe’s. It gives you that chewy, fresh-baked breadstick texture without having to plan your recipe around proofing yeast.
The biggest thing is to let refrigerated pizza dough sit at room temperature for a little while before you try to stretch it. Cold dough LOVES to spring back into a tiny ball the second you touch it. Once it warms up, it becomes much easier to stretch and shape.
A little flour on your work surface will also save you from fighting with sticky dough.
And this is one of those recipes where the shortcut doesn’t make the finished product feel like a shortcut. Once you’ve covered the dough in homemade garlic butter, Alfredo, mozzarella, and Parmesan and baked it until golden, I promise no one is wondering whether you spent the afternoon making pizza dough from scratch.
What to Serve with This Cheesy Breadsticks Recipe
Marinara sauce for dipping is a great add!!
But these also make SUCH a good side when you’re doing an Italian-ish dinner and want something more exciting than regular breadsticks or garlic bread.
Serve them with spaghetti and meatballs, baked ziti, lasagna, chicken Parmesan, a big Caesar salad, or a bowl of tomato soup. They’re also really fun alongside homemade pizza for a pizza night situation.
Or honestly, just make the cheesy breadsticks the main event. These are a great appetizer to bring to a party or a football season snack!
They’re best when they’re still warm from the oven and the mozzarella is super melty, so I like to cut them into strips and serve them right away with warm marinara sauce.
And if everyone starts hovering around the pan and pulling off breadsticks the second you walk in the door, you’ve made them correctly.
Cheesy Breadsticks Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 28 oz Store bought pizza dough (I like Wegmans or Trader Joe’s pre-made pizza dough)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tsp olive oil or nonstick spray
For the Garlic Butter:
- 4 tbsp Unsalted butter melted
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Dried chives
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
For the Toppings:
- 3 tbsp Store-bought Alfredo sauce
- 1 8-ounce package shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the Pizza Dough:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Let the pizza dough rest at room temperature for 15-30 minutes so it’s easier to roll out.
- Sprinkle flour on a piece of parchment paper or large cutting board. Place the pizza dough on the cutting board and sprinkle the top of the dough with flour.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the pizza dough out to a 14×10-inch rectangle.
- Brush a large rimmed baking sheet with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
For the Garlic Butter:
- In a small bowl, stir together all of the garlic butter ingredients.
- Brush the garlic butter all over the pizza dough.
For the Toppings:
- Brush the pizza with Alfredo sauce.
- Top with mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how thick your pizza is. Use a spatula to lift up the pizza to see if the middle is cooked. The pizza is cooked through when the bottom middle of the pizza is very golden brown.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut into breadsticks. Serve immediately and enjoy!
