Homemade Mozzarella Sticks!

The Coppertop Guy loves a good mozzarella stick.  I like them, too.  I mean, let's be real: who doesn't like a breaded and fried piece of cheese, dipped in hot marinara sauce?  It's not healthy, it's not fancy, but that does not mean it's not delicious.

Up until now, we had only experienced them at restaurants either as a means of avoiding starvation while waiting for burgers to come out, or as a worthy accompaniment to drinks with friends.  Then one day, I was looking at my melty, cheesy snack, and I thought, how hard could this possibly be?  It looks like a piece of string cheese that is breaded and fried!  And that, my friends, is exactly what it is.

First, assemble your breading station.  Here's mine:



Necessary items: 2 eggs, beaten, 1 cup Italian bread crumbs, a tray of string cheese sticks that have been cut in half, and an episode of Friends that you are watching on your computer.  How do you unwind after a long day? 

Double-dip those suckers so they have a nice, crispy crust on them.  Egg, crumbs, egg, crumbs.  Then stick them in the freezer for an hour or two (or a day or two if you want to make them ahead), so that the breading really sticks to the cheese.

Out of the freezer, and into a frying pan of very hot vegetable oil!  You could certainly deep-fry these, but I was only making an appetizer portion for two people, and that just felt like a waste of oil.  Plus, I don't have a deep fryer.  Watch out, they might pop a little.  I'll admit it, I screamed at a particularly loud and scary oil pop.

Mmmmmmmm sizzle.

There you have it!  Now go forth and make your own!

Mozzarella Sticks

1 package string cheese (not low fat; my package had 12 sticks in it)
2 eggs
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
vegetable oil, about 1/2 inch deep

Cut each piece of string cheese in half, and lay them out on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Place the eggs in a bowl and beat them until smooth.  Place the bread crumbs in a separate bowl.  Dip each piece of cheese into the egg, then the bread crumbs, and place it back on the baking sheet.  After they have all been breaded, repeat the process to add an extra layer to each piece of cheese.  Place the baking sheet into the freezer for an hour or two (or up to two days).  Heat the oil in a frying pan until it is shimmering and very hot, and then carefully add the mozzarella sticks, frying in batches, about a minute on each side, until golden brown and delicious-looking.  Serve with hot marinara sauce for dipping.