Recipes & Memories – Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Our “kids” are grown and living on their own now. We miss them being around all the time, but we talk to them often and see them whenever possible. Since we’ve always been a family that cooks and eats together, recipes of foods the kids used to like often bring back fond memories of their growing-up years. This is one of those recipes.

During the kids-in-school days, everyone grabbed their own breakfast before heading out and lunches were at school or work during the week. Dinners together were pretty standard, but sometimes rushed, due to homework and sports schedules. Weekend lunches were our bonus meals together. Many times we reheated leftovers from the week and we each customized our own lunch. The favorite weekend lunches were the “appetizer sampler platters”. We’d pull mini pizza bagels, mini egg rolls and breaded mozzarella sticks from the freezer, pop them all in the oven & heat up some marinara sauce to go with the mozzarella sticks. The favorite of the three items were the mozzarella sticks. When Kelly came across this baked mozzarella sticks recipe and shared it with me, we both thought of Andrew, and I knew I wanted to try it. Making the recipe brought back wonderful memories of those bonus meals together. I’m looking forward to the next time we are all together to make these with the “kids”. I know Andrew & Eric will love them just as Kelly, Gilbert & I did!

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Baked Mozzarella Sticks (adapted from tiphero.comMakes 24 cheese sticks

 Ingredients:

  • 12 1-ounce mozzarella string cheese sticks
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheesemozzarella sticks (1)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  • marinara sauce, for dipping

Instructions:

Cut each cheese stick in half. Place the flour in a shallow bowl or pie tin. Beat the eggs and milk together in a second bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan, salt & pepper, basil, and oregano.

I use plain bread crumbs & add my own Italian seasoings.

I use plain bread crumbs & add my own Italian seasoings.

Roll a mozzarella piece in the flour to coat it evenly. Place it in the bowl of eggs to coat it with the egg wash. Roll the mozzarella in the bread crumb mixture to cover it completely with the crumbs.

Flour, egg wash, bread crumbs.

Flour, egg wash, bread crumbs.

Dip the coated mozzarella back into the egg wash for a second time, then back into the breadcrumbs for a second time. Place the double-dipped stick on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Repeat the process with all of the mozzarella sticks.

Second round of egg wash & bread crumbs.

Second round of egg wash & bread crumbs.

Place the baking sheet of breaded mozzarella sticks into the freezer for an hour. After an hour, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Remove the cheese sticks from the freezer and brush them with the melted butter, evenly coating the cheese sticks.

Melted butter will help the sticks crisp up a bit.

Melted butter will help the sticks crisp up a bit.

Bake the cheese sticks in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time, until they are lightly browned and crisp on the outside.

Ready to serve!

Ready to serve!

Serve the mozzarella sticks with some marinara sauce for dipping. Reheat any leftovers for 5-6 minutes at 350ºF.

As good as the store bought ones and more fun to make!

As good as the store bought ones and more fun to make!

Great food always brings back wonderful memories!  ~Linda

Baked Mozzarella Sticks (adapted from tiphero.comMakes 24 cheese sticks

 Ingredients:

  • 12 1-ounce mozzarella string cheese sticks
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  • Marinara sauce, for dipping

Instructions:

Cut each cheese stick in half. Place the flour in a shallow bowl or pie tin. Beat the eggs and milk together in a second bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan, salt & pepper, basil, and oregano.

Roll a mozzarella piece in the flour to coat it evenly. Place it in the bowl of eggs to coat it with the egg wash. Roll the mozzarella in the bread crumb mixture to cover it completely with the crumbs. Dip the coated mozzarella back into the egg wash for a second time, then back into the breadcrumbs for a second time. Place the double-dipped stick on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Repeat the process with all of the mozzarella sticks.

Place the baking sheet of breaded mozzarella sticks into the freezer for an hour. After an hour, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Remove the cheese sticks from the freezer and brush them with the melted butter, evenly coating the cheese sticks.

Bake the cheese sticks in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time, until they are lightly browned and crisp on the outside. Serve them with the marinara sauce for dipping. Reheat any leftovers for 5-6 minutes at 350ºF.