Forget the fryer, and opt for baked mozzarella sticks. This recipe takes less than 20 minutes from prep to plate, and the final result comes out of the oven with a perfect gooey center. Add a little fresh tomato sauce to the side, and you've cooked up a festive party appetizer at a fraction of the calories.

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

From Food Network

Ingredients

  1. 1 cup panko bread crumbs
    1/3 cup Italian style dry bread crumbs
    1 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasoning
    3/4 cup nonfat milk
    1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    16 (1-ounce) sticks low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese, halved crosswise

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat two large baking sheets with cooking spray.
  2. Combine panko, bread crumbs, and Italian seasoning in a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer mixture to a shallow dish.
  3. In a separate shallow dish, whisk together milk and 2 tablespoons of the flour. Place remaining 1/2 cup of flour in a large freezer bag.
  4. Add cheese sticks to the bag with the flour and shake to coat. Working in batches, dip the flour-coated cheese sticks into the milk mixture and then into the panko mixture. Arrange cheese, in a single layer, on prepared baking sheets. Spray the surface with cooking spray. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
  5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cheese is soft. Be sure to watch the oven to make sure they keep their stick shape!


Nutrition

Calories per serving
260
Average ( votes):