- 12 sticks Sargento part-skim mozzarella string cheese
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoon flour (may use an all-purpose gluten-free blend)
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (see notes)
- 1/3 cup regular dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Olive oil cooking spray
- Optional: your favorite marinara sauce for dipping
Baked Mozzarella Sticks
These savory bites must be frozen solid before baking. My other helpful tip is to watch them closely the first time or two you bake them. That way, you will know exactly how long they take to cook in your oven. One minute too many can make the difference between a perfect mozzarella stick and a puddle of cheese--albeit a tasty puddle!
Yields 24 pieces (12 servings).
Yields 24 pieces (12 servings).
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut the cheese sticks in half. You will have 24 pieces. Place the cheese in the freezer until the cheese is frozen, several hours or overnight. (I place them on a small, parchment or wax paper-lined tray so they don’t freeze to the pan.)
- In small bowl, whisk the egg. Place the flour on a small dish or in a zipper-top bag. In separate bowl or bag, thoroughly combine the panko, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried herbs and salt.
- Dip the frozen sticks in the flour, shaking off the excess. Then dip them in the egg, followed by the crumb mixture. Be sure to coat the ends, too. This coating will form a thin crust that will give structure to the cheese as it begins to soften. (I find it easiest to use one hand as the hand used for dipping will get rather messy.)
- Repeat this process with the remaining pieces of cheese, placing them on a parchment or wax paper-lined tray as you go. Place the cheese back in the freezer until ready to bake. The cheese must be completely frozen for good results. Once frozen, you may transfer the sticks to a zipper-top back and store until ready to use.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with oil.
- Place the frozen cheese sticks on the baking sheet, and spray the tops of the mozzarella sticks with olive oil. Bake 3-4 minutes. Turn the sticks over, and bake an additional 3-4 minutes or until the cheese sticks are lightly golden and just soft through the center. Watch them VERY closely after you flip them so they don’t melt. Serve immediately with optional marinara sauce for dipping. Like any cheese, these will firm up as they cool…but will still taste great!
Notes
- In lieu of the 1/3 cup each panko and breadcrumbs, I have also made these with all gluten-free breadcrumbs (2/3 cup) with good results. The cheese sticks in the photo are actually a gluten-free batch. The texture is a little finer with a hint less crunch than using the two crumbs in combination, but it demonstrates that a gluten-free version works quite well and that all breadcrumbs may be used if you don’t have panko on hand. Finally, I have always used unseasoned breadcrumbs. If you use a seasoned variety, I suggest omitting the 1/4 teaspoon of salt.