I love pickles. Any kind of pickle. I blame my parents. When I was a kid, we would spend one weekend a year prepping mason jars, peeling produce, and mixing vinegar for our pickled products would would eat for the rest of the year. We had the classic pickled cucumber, pickled onions, spicy pickles, pickled eggs, pickled eggplants (seriously delicious) — I could go on. Now, I'm a pickled addict. And I thought I had tried it all, until I saw the chickle.
What's a chickle?
I'm so glad you asked. A chickle is a pickle spear wrapped in a slice of melted cheese. It started just five days ago when @clurmurr on TikTok shared her "guilty pleasure snack."
How do you make a chickle?
It starts with a nonstick pan and some cooking spray. Over medium heat, add a slice of cheese, and heat until it's melted and the bottom and sides start to crisp up. Then, add your pickle and wrap the crust of cheese around it.
"My husband says it's gross, but I think I can find someone else out there who either makes this or will enjoy this," she said in the video. And she certainly did. Over eight million people have now seen that video, most of them flooding the comments with clever names for the snack. Pickle in a blanket, or picklet, and cheese pickle, or chicklet, are my faves.
Is a chickle good?
You're in luck. I tested it out for myself. I used good ol' American cheese (the very bright orange kind) and my favorite brand of pickles, Grillo's. But because I'm obsessed with pepperoncini, I also made a version with that and parmesan cheese. I call it a chepperoncini.
These were delicious. The crispy, crunchy outside that gives way to a juicy, zesty bite can only be described as perfection. More than that, this recipe is super easy and quick to cook, can be customized, and makes a handheld snack. Plus, the cheese does not slide off! Seriously. This was my face when trying them both.
I call it Surprising Pleasure. I was surprised at how a snack so simple can be so good.