I am not a huge fan of fried things. Never really have been. I make exceptions for scrumptious desserts, but even then I like to go with a shallow fry, like extremely shallow. It’s not just the calories that are less than appealing, but the greasy texture and oily film coupled with the heaviness of such foods are a big turnoff. And don’t even get me started on the mess. The splatters, smell, and cleanup are a neat freaks’ worst enemy. Yep, I better admit it now. I clean up as I go through my kitchen adventures, own an extremely organized pantry, and rinse every single dish before it meets the dishwasher. I just can’t help it. So when I came across a recipe for baked mozzarella sticks a few years back, I couldn’t wait but to give it a try.

*Drool factor. No, serious drool factor. I made these during the lunch hour the other day and couldn’t have been happier about my meal. Warm, melted cheese wrapped in a crispy coating of more cheese and bread crumbs. Dipped in marinara sauce. To say I was a happy camper would be an understatement.

Finger Foods are ruling my world lately and I have nothing negative to say about that. I guess super bowl fever has caught me a few weeks early, but hey, I ain’t complaining.

This recipe uses mozzarella string cheese sticks and is breaded in the traditional way. Dipped in flour and egg, as well as a mixture of Italian style and panko bread crumbs. It comes together in just a few minutes and I guarantee you that these will disappear even faster.

I prepared these ahead of time and kept them in a ziploc bag in my freezer until I was ready to bake them. It worked beautifully. You can rely on the same convenience as the store-bought kind and make them whenever you get a chance. With a total baking time of 10 minutes you can have the perfect appetizer ready before your guests had a chance to get comfortable. Hassle and stress-free appetizers – that’s how I roll!

Skinny Mozzarella Sticks are your answer to enjoy an indulgent bite without all the guilt. Even the men at your Super Bowl party won’t miss the fried kind. These are that good!

Here’s to a delicious Wednesday!

Skinny Mozzarella Sticks

2014-01-14 13:29:54

Yields 24

Skinny Mozzarella Sticks are baked and not fried - you would never know by the way they taste... absolutely amazing.

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Ingredients

1. 12 sticks part-skim mozzarella string cheese
2. 2 large eggs, beaten
3. 1/4 cup flour
4. 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
5. 1/2 cup panko crumbs
6. 3 teaspoons parmesan cheese
7. 1 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
8. olive oil cooking spray

Instructions

1. 1. Cut mozzarella sticks in half, yielding 24 shorter sticks. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
2. 2. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and place in a shallow bowl. Pour flour into another shallow bowl. Using a third bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and dried parsley. Line another baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
3. 3. Remove frozen mozzarella sticks from freezer and roll in the flour, then dunk in the egg mixture, roll in the flower once again, back into the beaten egg and evenly coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat. When finished, place baking sheet back into the freezer for 30 minutes or until ready to be baked (if you are making these ahead of time, transfer the breaded cheese sticks to a freezer bag or airtight container to prevent freezer burn).
4. 4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. When oven is ready, remove mozzarella sticks from freezer and spray the tops lightly with the cooking spray. Put in the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes. Flip mozzarella sticks over and continue baking for another 4-5 minutes (keep an eye on them, so they won't start to ooze or melt). Serve hot with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.

Notes

1. Skinny Mozzarella Sticks can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.

Adapted from skinnytaste

Adapted from skinnytaste

Deliciously Yum! http://deliciouslyyum.com/