Buzz
I love pairing pickles with dairy. While I wouldn’t necessarily pair a garlic pickle with a glass of milk, I have been known to dip cornichons into crème fraîche and even fry pickle slices in a heap of shredded cheddar. It turns out, I’m not the only one who’s hooked on this combination. 'Pickles in a blanket'—also called 'chickles'—are trending on TikTok right now, and the cheese serves as the blanket.
This snack is incredibly simple: You lay a slice of cheese in a nonstick pan, let it bubble up and become crispy at the edges, then wrap it around a pickle spear (or a smaller half). Flavor-wise, it's pretty similar to our pickle cheese crisps (another TikTok favorite), but with a much heavier pickle-to-cheese ratio. Every bite delivers a consistent pickle experience.
The trickiest part of making this snack is figuring out the perfect moment to fold the cheese around the pickle. If you do it too early, the cheese will slide off the pickle and back into the pan. Let the cheese fry in its own fat until it’s golden brown around the edges, with only a few soft spots left. You want plenty of tiny holes in the cheese, showing that most of the moisture has evaporated, which will help the cheese crisp up once it’s taken out of the pan.
You can use virtually any type of cheese you like. Even American cheese, which is known for melting and staying stretchy, will crisp up with enough time and heat. (In fact, I used it to make the pickle in a blanket above.) You don’t have to stick to cheese slices; frico is typically made with shredded cheese, and a cheese blanket made from shredded cheese folds just as easily as one made from slices.
Either way, you'll have a tangy, juicy pickle wrapped in a crispy, salty cheese coating, and it's absolutely delicious. The flavors give off a subtle vibe of a diner cheeseburger, but without the beef. It evokes that 'flattop' vibe, but you don't need a Waffle House-style grill to achieve it. Just a nonstick pan, a slice (or handful) of cheese, and a pickle spear (or small half) are all you need. Want to add extras like meats, vegetables, or even chips? Sure, but start with the simplicity of this pickle snack first—it’s best enjoyed on its own. (I did finish mine with honey, and I have to say, the combination of sweet honey, salty crispy cheese, and sour pickles is a winner.)
Pickle in a Blanket (Or 'Chickle')
Ingredients:
1 slice of white American cheese
1 pickle spear or small pickle half
Honey for finishing (optional)
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the cheese slice in the pan and let it cook until the edges become brown and most of the 'melted' areas transform into crisp, lacy patterns.
Gently pat the pickle dry with paper towels and place it at the center of the cheese slice. Carefully fold the cheese around the pickle using a silicone spatula, then lift it from the pan. Drizzle with honey if desired, and enjoy immediately.
