{Mozzarella Sticks}

Everyone is obsessed with these ooey gooey homemade mozzarella sticks, breaded with a flavorful coating and fried to a golden perfection.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Freeze: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 24 sticks

In the market

12-16 String Cheese Sticks
1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp Lawrys Seasoning Salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cup panko crumbs
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp oregano
Vegetable Oil for frying

In the kitchen



1) Unwrap cheese sticks and cut them in half. (tip: unwrap while cheese stick wrappers are still connected and they will all come off at once).

2) You can use bowls for this next step, but I think using the plastic bags (without a zipper) are less messy and much quicker.

- In bag #1: toss the flour, paprika and salt.
- In bag #2: mix the panko, parsley and oregano.
- In a bowl: beat the eggs and milk together.

3) Now coat your cheese sticks by first tossing 5 or 6 in your milk bowl for a good soaking. Next, throw them in the flour bag and shake, shake, shake. Put them back in the milk bowl, making sure to coat every side. Finally, toss them around in the panko bag for your final coat.
Place them on a cookie sheet and freeze for 20-30 min.

4) Heat a few inches of your canola or vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Place sticks, in batches, in the oil and fry until golden brown on all sides (about 30-60 seconds). Drain on a plate lined with a paper towel. Serve immediately with marinara sauce or ranch.



PRO TIPS + TRICKS

- Unwrap your cheese sticks while they are are still connected and the wrappers will all come off at once.
- You can use bowls for the breading process, but I think using the plastic bags (without a zipper) are less messy and much quicker. In fact, I always keep these storage bags on hand because they can be used for so many things!

- Double coating them will help the cheese to stay inside the coating and not melt out while they’re frying.

- It’s super important that they are frozen before you fry them, otherwise the cheese will ooze out of the coating.

- The ideal temperature for frying is about 350°-375° F.

Source: lilluna.com