This low-carb Cuban sandwich on a stick appetizer is like combining a meat and cheese tray and a sandwich platter but on a stick! Who doesn’t love food on a stick?! Party appetizers served on skewers is eye catching and fun for all ages to enjoy!

This post is on how to make a low-carb Cuban sandwich on a stick recipe to serve as an appetizer. It is easy to make and features a homemade honey mustard dipping sauce. It’s a clean, mess-free appetizer that your guests will enjoy!

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Mini Cuban Sandwich On A Stick Appetizer Ingredients

The good news about this recipe is that you can make as many or as a few of the skewers as you like without spending all the $$$.

For the skewers, you will need 3 ingredients:

Block of swiss cheese cut into cubes (or store bought pre-cubed swiss cheese)

Baby kosher dill pickles
Thick-cut deli ham

The dipping sauce consists of:

Honey dijon mustard
Mayonnaise
Garlic powder

Onion powder
Honey

What Is In A Traditional Cuban Sandwich?

One of the most charming aspects of a Cuban sandwich, also known as the Cubano, is the simplistic configuration of it. To this day, locals and tourists in America look forward to getting their hands on one to fulfill their hunger craving. This sandwich is still well-known and thriving in America and I don’t see that going away any time soon. This dish is semi-easy to find and can be recognized by its distinct flavor. Typically, it consists of ham, swiss (or gouda) cheese, roasted pork, pickles, mustard, mojo sauce and cuban bread. It’s best rubbed with butter and warmed up in a sandwich press called a plancha (although can also be served cold) before getting cut in half diagonally and served during lunch or dinner.

When it comes to making a traditional cuban sandwich, many say the most important part of the dish is the Cuban bread. Although French and Italian bread are common alternatives, Cuban bread has a tender yet soft interior with a split down the middle of the crust. With this dish being so popular in Florida, you can expect to find this sandwich served on proper Cuban-style bread in most restaurants and street corner carts.

How To Assemble A Cuban Sandwich On A Stick

To make the skewers:

Cut the swiss cheese into 1/2 inch – 3/4 inch cubes (if using a block of swiss cheese)

Cut the slices of ham lengthwise into 1 inch – 1 1/2 inch thick strips
Chop the pickles into thirds
Assemble the skewers by adding the pickle, followed by the ham, then the cheese at the bottom. When skewering the ham, fold it back and forth directly down the middle of it (as if folding a fan) in order to achieve the same look as in my pictures.

To make the sauce:

Mix the honey dijon, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder and honey together until combined.

Finally, serve the skewers with the chilled dipping sauce on a platter and enjoy!

what are the ingredients on a cuban sandwich

Reasons To Love This Appetizer

If you’re not convinced already to make this recipe, there’s a few things in particular that draw my guests to this dish. As far as appetizers go, I always like to provide a variety of different flavors and textures so that there is something for everyone to munch on at a party. This recipe is one that guests will recognize based on the classic and distinct flavor of a Cuban sandwich. With it’s easily recognizable ingredients, I’ve noticed guests feel comfortable trying this recipe even if they have not had a Cuban sandwich before.

Other reasons to love this appetizer:

It’s easy to make and requires minimal shopping and minimal $$$’s

It can be prepared ahead of time or last minute
They are bite sized! People looovveee small bite foods at parties
It’s not messy! For those that are a little more prone to making a mess when they eat (like me), the last thing they want to do is risk spilling something messy on themselves and feel embarrassed in front of friends and family. Having these bite sized appetizers is a safe “clean” food that is great to serve at a crowded party or one where guests are dressed in nice attire.

It’s served on a stick and that is way more fun than just assembling meat and cheese on a cracker. Honestly, anything that gets served on a stick is automatically more fun to eat and will end up being a hit at parties.
They look really nice when served. With all the colors packed into this appetizer, this is quite the eye-catching dish. If arranged on a round serving platter with the sauce in the middle, this dish instantly becomes aesthetically pleasing! Guests will not only enjoy eating these, but they will also enjoy looking at them!

Tips & Tricks For Assembling The Cuban Sandwich On A Stick

When making these mini cuban sandwiches on a stick, there are a few tips and tricks that will ensure these turn out the best they can. If you’re one for presentation, you will be so satisfied with the appearance once you finish assembling and plating these skewers.

Tip #1: Get pre-cubed cheese to save time

If you are in a pinch (or simply just don’t feel like chopping cheese) you can opt for pre-cubed swiss cheese. Same thing goes for the ham if you don’t want to work with slices, you can opt for pre-cubed ham. Make sure your cheese cubes are all relatively the same size in order to make the skewering process easier!

Tip #2: Don’t use toothpicks, use skewers

If you don’t have any skewers, you might be tempted to opt for toothpicks. I would strongly advise against this since the combo of the cheese, ham, and pickle can weigh a little more than what the toothpick can normally hold. Plus, toothpicks are a little too small to realistically get all three ingredients on and still provide sufficient room for guests to grab the toothpick by. I used these Bamboo Knot Skewers from World Market. They are sturdy and long enough to allow people to pick them up with ease.

Tip #3: Use thick sliced ham, thin slices are prone to fall off

This one is no joke. Thick sliced ham is a must in order to stay on the skewer. Thin ham rips easily and will not stay on the skewer well. However, you can’t have too thick of ham to where it can’t fold.

Tip #4: Skewer the ham in a folded style to ensure it stays on

Skewering these can be a little tricky but once you get the process down with a couple, the rest will be easy. Using thick ham, add the strips onto the skewer using a folded motion (similar to folding a fan). This will be the easiest way to keep the ham slices on the skewer.

Tip #5: Layering the skewers in a certain order will ensure nothing slides off

Layer the skewers in order with the pickle at the top (closest to the handle), the ham in the middle, and the cheese cube at the bottom. Since the cheese is the sturdiest ingredient, it is the best option to keep the other ingredients in place above it. Having the ham in the middle is key to preventing it from unfolding.

How To Make Ahead

If you were looking for a make-ahead recipe, this one’s for you! You can dice and slice the cheese, pickles, and ham all at once ahead of time and prepare the sauce and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve. You can skewer these the night (or even a day or two) before serving and store in the fridge covered with seran wrap.

These do take a little bit of time to skewer yourself so I would recommend making these at least a few hours before serving. If you have any extra hands around willing to help, skewering is a task you can tackle together in a fraction of the time it will take you to do it alone.

Variations Of A Cuban Sandwich On A Stick

Swap out the swiss cheese for gouda if you prefer something other than swiss. Gouda is a great alternative!
You can swap out the homemade sauce for premade honey mustard dressing to achieve a similar dipping sauce.
You can take this appetizer to the next level by adding bread to create mini sandwiches. Cut small pieces of French or Italian bread to fit the cubed cheese, sliced ham, and pickle and ditch the skewer. You could warm these up too and serve them melty and toasty. Bonus: it will make your house smell amazing!

If you want to make a similar recipe for kids or picky-eaters, you could take ham, turkey, or prosciutto with cubed cheddar cheese, mozzarella, tomatoes and green leaf lettuce. You could use the same sauce as included in this recipe or simply provide a mayo based dipping sauce.

how do you make an authentic cuban sandwich

If you tried this recipe, let me know what you and your guests thought of having a cuban sandwich in stick form in the comments below!