These grinder parmesan cups are the appetizer you’ll want to add to your list of go-to party foods. They are so simple to make and extremely delicious. Plus, they can be served cold so no need to worry about keeping them warm. I’m telling you, these will go fast and everyone will want the recipe. If you’re on TikTok, you’ve likely seen many videos for grinder sandwiches and salads! They were all over my FYP! So, I wanted to take that concept and remix it into a fun appetizer you can enjoy with your friends.
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Grinder Parmesan Cups
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup light mayonaisse
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp water
- 1 1/2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped or shredded
- 1/4 cup mini red peppers, sliced
- 1/3 cup pepperoncini peppers, sliced or chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup hard salami, chopped
- 1/4 cup mini pepperonis
- 12 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
- fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make dressing by mixing together mayo, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, water and red wine vinegar.
- Add lettuce, red peppers, pepperoncini, red onion, hard salami and pepperoni to dressing. Mix well and place in refrigerator to chill.
- Make parmesan cups. For each cup, add 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese to a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread out each tablespoon of cheese into even circles across baking sheet. The circles should not touch.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes or until the outer edges of the cheese starts to brown. Do not over bake as the cheese will burn.
- Remove from oven and let cool 30 seconds to set. Yes, only 30 seconds!
- Remove each cheese circle with a spatula and set on top of an upside down muffin pan. When all parmesan has been added, place a second muffin pan directly on top of the parmesan. Gently press down so that the cups form. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove pan and lift each cup. See below for photos. You will need to work quickly so the cheese doesn't break.
- Fill each cup with the grinder mixture. Top with fresh cracked pepper.
- Serve and enjoy!
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR MINI RED PEPPERS
Feel free to use standard red bell peppers if the mini version isn’t available! I personally like the look of the mini red peppers in this recipe, but the taste will be the same if you prefer to use standard red bell peppers.
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR RED ONION
While my first choice for this recipe is red onion – white or yellow onions will be perfectly fine and taste great.
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR SALAMI AND PEPPERONI
Salami and pepperoni are my favorite for this recipe, but you may also enjoy experimenting with capicola, ham, or other deli meat. For this recipe, I used hard salami slices and mini pepperonis. You can certainly use a tube of each or standard pepperoni slices. The taste will be the same.
PARMESAN NOTES
I use pre-shredded parmesan cheese for this recipe. If you want a crispier cup, you can shred the cheese yourself from a block of good quality parmesan. While I would typically prefer a crispier cup, I like the pre-shredded cheese for this recipe because the cup is easier to eat when it’s not as crispy.
KITCHEN TOOLS
You won’t need any special kitchen tools for this recipe but if you’re looking to shop some of my favorites, you can do so at the list here!
Looking for other fun party food ideas to make with these grinder parmesan cups? Try my Easy and Delicious Party Appetizer: Avocado Shrimp Bites or my Cucumber Daisy Puff Pastries. Both are crowd pleasers!
I hope you love this recipe for grinder parmesan cups! Thanks for stopping by my corner of the internet.
-The Chic(ish) Chick
Want more ideas like this and video tutorials? Check out my Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest pages!
Yummm!! I’ll def be trying this out.
Where did you find the mini pepperonis?
Author
I got them at Hy-Vee. You can also get them on Amazon.