Cranberry Stuffed Mozzarella Bricks With Herbed Cranberry Dip

A mozzarella snack with cranberry at the center

These fried mozzarella bricks put cranberry sauce inside the cheese instead of beside it. The contrast is the point: a crisp, double-breaded shell gives way to hot, stretchy mozzarella and a tart center. It’s a familiar fried-cheese format with a sweet-tart interruption, and that balance is what keeps the filling from feeling like a decorative add-on.

The sauce trimmings become a cool, herbed dip, so little of the can goes to waste. That gives the dish two distinct temperatures and textures: molten cheese in the brick, tangy cranberry and buttermilk on the side. The recipe makes 12 thick bricks, enough to serve as a shareable appetizer or a substantial snack.

Makes 12 thick bricks

Ingredients

For the bricks

• 24 mozzarella slices, each about 1⅝ by 1½ inches and ¼ inch thick
• 1 (14-ounce) can Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce
• 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Cornstarch, for dusting
• Oil, for frying

For the cranberry herb dip (“cranch”)

• Cranberry sauce trimmings
• ½ cup buttermilk, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper, or black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon chopped dill

Fresh herbs work well, though dried herbs are fine too. The dip’s creamy base softens the cranberry’s tartness, while the parsley, chives, and dill bring a savory note that suits the fried coating. Its consistency is adjustable, so hold back some buttermilk until you’ve blended the sauce and can judge whether it needs thinning.

Shape and chill the filling

If your mozzarella isn’t already sliced to size, cut it into rectangles about 1⅝ by 1½ inches and ¼ inch thick. Use one slice as a guide to trim the cranberry sauce into a rectangular block, reserving the rounded scraps for the dip. Cut the block into slabs roughly as thick as the cheese; aim for 12 pieces. Matching the layers matters: cranberry that protrudes too far may make the stacks harder to seal with breading.

Make each brick by stacking mozzarella, cranberry, then mozzarella. Dust the contact surfaces lightly with cornstarch. It helps bind the layers as they chill, giving the cheese and cranberry a better chance of staying together as you handle and coat each stack. Freeze the stacks for at least an hour, or up to two if you have time.

That chill is part of the cooking method, not just a scheduling convenience. The filling needs to start cold so the outside can brown before the cheese and cranberry become too loose. If the stacks soften while you’re assembling them, return them to the freezer before breading.

Make the dip and bread the bricks

While the stacks chill, blend the cranberry trimmings with the buttermilk until smooth and pink. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the mayonnaise, seasoned salt, pepper, parsley, chives, and dill. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a splash of buttermilk if you want a thinner dip; a thicker consistency will cling more readily to each brick.

Set out three bowls: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, and breadcrumbs in the third. Coat each frozen stack in flour and shake off the excess. Dip it in egg, cover it thoroughly with breadcrumbs, then repeat the egg and breadcrumb coatings. That second layer helps keep the cranberry filling inside during frying, and it also creates the crisp shell that defines the finished bite.

Take care to cover the edges as well as the broad sides. Small gaps in the coating can give hot filling a way out once the cheese softens. Return the breaded bricks to the freezer while you heat the oil, which helps them stay firm through the first moments in the pot.

Fry and serve

Heat frying oil in a large pot to 350°F. Fry the bricks for about 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown, working in batches that leave room around each piece. Depending on your pot, expect three batches of four or four batches of three. Crowding makes it harder for the oil to maintain an even temperature and for the coating to brown evenly, so give each piece space.

Transfer the bricks to a wire rack to drain and cool briefly. A rack lets excess oil drip away while air reaches the crust, helping it stay crisp. Serve them warm with the cranberry herb dip, while the mozzarella still stretches. They’re best eaten soon after frying.

Why the method matters

Here’s the thing: a filled cheese snack depends on timing as much as ingredients. The frozen center, cornstarch between the layers, and double coating each address the same practical problem: keeping the cranberry and mozzarella inside the crust long enough for it to turn golden. It’s a small sequence of safeguards, and skipping one can make the final fry less predictable.

This is more significant than it looks for anyone adapting the idea to other fillings. Similar fried, filled foods rely on a firm center and a sealed exterior because the contents soften as they heat. If you’re working in this space, the useful lesson is to treat chilling and coating as structural steps, not optional prep. The recipe’s main tradeoff is clear: it asks for freezer time and careful breading in exchange for a dramatic contrast in each bite.

And yet. The appeal is simple: crisp outside, stretchy cheese, sharp cranberry, cool dip. The recipe turns a familiar seasonal sauce into both a filling and a condiment (and this is the part most people overlook). A little planning makes the payoff easier to manage.

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