Warm Cheese Box Bites

Ingredients

• 4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, finely shredded (about 1 cup)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 5 (1½-oz.) thick-cut, firm white sandwich bread slices

Description

1. Stir together cheese, butter, mayonnaise, cornstarch, hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt, mustard, and paprika in a large bowl until creamy and combined.

2. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form (1 minute, 30 seconds, to 2 minutes). Gently fold egg white mixture into cheese mixture in 4 additions, being careful not to overmix to avoid deflating egg whites; mixture should remain light and airy. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to use.

3. Trim crusts from bread slices. Cut slices in half crosswise; cut each half into thirds to make a total of 30 pieces.

4. Spread cheese mixture evenly over tops and sides of bread pieces. Arrange on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Chill, uncovered, until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour. (To store in freezer, freeze on baking sheet until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then transfer to a heavy-duty ziplock plastic freezer bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Do not thaw before baking.)

5. While bread pieces chill, preheat oven to 375°F. Bake chilled bread pieces until golden brown and slightly puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.