Outnumbered: Mozzarella Sticks

Inspired by an inordinate amount of string cheese sitting in my fridge as the result of an impulse buy at Costco, I decided to make my own mozzarella sticks. This turned out to be super easy and quick to make (not to mention a crowd pleaser!).

Here's what you'll need:

String cheese
Eggs
Flour
Bread crumbs
Olive oil (or whatever your favorite oil is)

Put about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan or a sauce pan (I think I'll go this route next time but used a frying pan for this first attempt) and put over medium heat. Cut the string cheese in half. Beat the egg and add about a tablespoon of water to thin it out a bit (how many eggs you'll need total depends on how many mozzarella sticks you'll make; start with one and you can add more as needed). Put several tablespoons of flour on one plate and several tablespoons of breadcrumbs on another.

Roll a piece of the cheese in flour and then tap so excess flour falls off.

Roll in the egg to coat.

Then roll in the bread crumbs to coat.

I double breaded my mozzarella sticks, but you could stop here in the breading process if you want and head straight to the oil. To double bread, after the first trip into the bread crumbs I put the cheese back into the egg and then it took a second trip into the bread crumbs. This made for a more consistent and slightly crunchier breading and the general consensus amongst our friends was that the double breading was worth it. Use tongs to place the cheese in the hot oil; you should be able to hear the breading sizzling a little (not too much!) when you place it in the oil.

After a minute or two (or the breading has browned a bit) flip over with the tongs. Another minute or two and your mozzarella stick is ready to come out of the oil. Place it onto a plate with paper towel on it to absorb excess oil.

Wait a moment for them to cool and then enjoy! We had a few friends over to play board games and I made an entire plate of these, which promptly disappeared!