Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Enjoy these healthy baked mozzarella sticks with zero guilt! Made with part-skim cheese, breaded with Panko crumbs, and baked in the oven. This recipe will be the perfect appetizer for game day!

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 25

Servings: 24 sticks

Ingredients

12 pieces part-skim mozzarella string cheese each stick cut in half
1 egg large
¼ cup flour
¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
¼ cup panko crumbs
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
olive oil cooking spray
marinara sauce for dipping
ranch dressing for dipping

Instructions

Cut cheese sticks in half and place in the freezer until frozen completely—about one hour.
Place a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit 20 minutes before baking your mozzarella sticks. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or aluminum foil.
In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg and set it aside. Place flour in a separate shallow bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, mix breadcrumbs, panko, garlic powder, chili powder, and Italian seasoning.
Working in batches of 4 at a time, roll the sticks around in the flour until completely coated on all sides. Dip into the egg, and then coat with the crumbs. You may need to press the coating on firmly to make sure it sticks. Shake off any excess crumbs.
Place coated mozzarella sticks on your prepared baking tray. Spray the tops of the cheese sticks lightly with the olive oil spray.
Bake for approximately 8 minutes, until crisp. Keep a very close eye on them to make sure the cheese doesn't start to ooze out! Serve immediately while warm.

Heather's Helpful Hints

For best results, serve these mozzarella sticks immediately after coming out of the oven.
Make sure that your cheese sticks are frozen completely (1 hour in the freezer) before baking them. If not, your cheese will melt too quickly while baking at such a high temperature.
Make these ahead by coating a day in advance and returning to the freezer before baking the next day.

Nutrition

This recipe was found on My Sweet Precision. Thank you for visiting!