Vegan Grilled Cheese Star of David Hanukkah Sandwiches

I absolutely love making holiday-themed snacks! My kids are at the perfect age to get excited about it, which makes it all the more fun. With Hanukkah around the corner, I'm pulling out all of my favorite snacks while also making up some new ones. These Vegan Grilled Cheese Star of David Hanukkah Sandwiches are as cute as can be, and I included options to make it no-waste as well. Whip up a batch of easy homemade vegan Mozzarella cheese and start grilling! For more Hanukkah-themed snacks, be sure to check out my Fun with Food: Hanukkah Snacks post!

Ingredients in Gluten-Free, Vegan Grilled Cheese Star of David Hanukkah Sandwiches

This is a pretty classic grilled cheese ingredient list, except that it's made with all dairy-free and gluten-free ingredients!

• Bread - You'll need two sliced of whole wheat or gluten-free bread. Canyon Bakehouse is a popular gluten-free sliced bread option. Check out my full post of Gluten-Free Resources and Product Recommendations for my favorites!
• Butter - Vegan butter keeps this recipe dairy-free. I love Miyoko brand vegan butter with a hint of salt. You can find it at most grocery stores (such as Whole Foods and Sprouts)!
• Homemade Instant Vegan Mozzarella Cheese - If you don't want to make your own cheese you can buy a vegan brand, but I think you'll be surprised by how easy it is to make dairy-free Mozzarella at home!

How to Make a Gluten-Free Star of David Grilled Cheese

Making your grilled cheese sandwich into a fun shape takes only a couple extra steps!

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
2. Use a large Star of David-shaped cookie cutter to cut stars out of the centers of two slices of bread. Use one slightly smaller cookie cutter to cut another star out of the center of one of the stars. Spread vegan butter on one side of the solid star. Spread vegan mozzarella cheese on the other side of the solid star. 
3. Place the buttered side of the bread down on the skillet. Add butter to one side of the Star of David with the hollowed-out center.  Allow it to sear on the skillet for a couple minutes, until golden brown.  Place the non-buttered side over the open-faced mozzarella cheese star that is currently cooking. 
4. Allow everything to cook for another 2-3 minutes so the cheese can melt and hold the sandwich together. Serve it right away and enjoy! I like to put blueberries or other fresh fruit on the side for a balanced (and festive) snack.

Dairy-Free Grilled Cheese

I recently shared my dairy-free, plant-based Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese recipe! This is a surprisingly simple process that results in creamy, melty cheese that tastes like the real thing. I use it on so many cheesy recipes, from Cast Iron Skillet Pizza to Baked Taquitos! It's made with cashews, tapioca starch, and a little splash of maple syrup. You can make this mozzarella ahead of time and store it up to a week, but I prefer to make it right before using. It's so quick and simple that I don't mind! I use Miyoko brand butter with a hint of salt. This is a plant-based product that melts and tastes like real butter! It's perfect for toast.

No-Waste Grilled Cheese in Fun Shapes

Making grilled cheese (and toast!) into clever shapes is so much fun, but a lot of people worry about the waste from cutting out large portions of the bread. I usually take the piece I cut out of the bread, butter it, and cook it in the skillet alongside the grilled cheese! You can do this with or without cheese on top. For the two bread slices with the Star of David cut out in the center, you can place each on top of a full slice of bread that has been buttered, toasted, and covered with melted cheese.