Mozzarella sticks technically aren’t part of the five food groups on the food pyramid but they really should be. That’s how special we think mozzarella sticks are. Whether served as appetizers or just eaten as a meal itself, especially with homemade marinara sauce, anytime’s a good time for a plate of cheese sticks.
Sadly, we’ve seen one too many plates of soggy, greasy, unimpressive mozzarella sticks so we’re gonna give you guys a great recipe to remedy that. Also, we’ll share a delicious tequeños recipe, which is somewhat of a long distant relative to the well-known mozzarella stick.
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In this article:
Find out How to Cook an Impressive Batch of Mozzarella Sticks
Mozzarella Sticks
Mozzarella sticks are a cinch to make but need a little preparation. If you’d like, you can prepare the mozzarella sticks the day before and pop them in the freezer to cook the following day. This way they’ll be nice and firm and won’t fall apart during the cooking process.
Today we’ll be sharing a delicious recipe and tips on how to make your homemade cheese sticks perfectly crunchy and oozing with cheesy goodness!
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup of dry bread crumbs
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 12 sticks string cheese
- 1 cup marinara, or spaghetti sauce (optional)
Step 1: Set Up Your Breading Station
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One common rule to remember when breading foods is “Dry-Wet-Dry”. Put flour in a small bowl and in another bowl whisk eggs together with the 1 tablespoon of water.
In a third bowl mix together the bread crumbs, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Step 2: Coat Your Cheese Sticks
Following the dry-wet-dry method, coat cheese sticks in flour, then in the egg and water mixture and finally coat them with your bread crumbs. We’ll do a double coat of egg and bread crumbs, for that added crunch and to help ensure the cheese doesn’t leak out.
Cover and place in the freezer for a few hours or until firmed completely or freeze them overnight, if you’ll be cooking them the next day.
Step 3: Time to Get to Frying or Baking!
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We now have the option of baking or frying.
- If baking: Preheat your oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and make sure to grease it with spray or cooking oil. Cooking your mozzarella sticks until they are golden brown on all sides.
- If frying: Pour cooking oil into a 12-inch skillet and heat to 350° F. Fry your cheese sticks in batches and remove once they’ve turned golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before serving with a marinara dipping sauce.
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Tequeños, A Popular and Delicious Venezuelan Snack
Now that we know how to make mozzarella sticks, let’s move on to Tequeños. They’re fried breadsticks that encase queso blanco cheese and wrapped in a unique twisted wrap of fried dough. The tequeño is thought to have originated from the town of Los Teques.
Usually served as snacks, appetizers and bar food, they are usually served with a guasacaca sauce, which is an avocado salsa. Tequeños can also be filled with ham, chopped vegetables, and sometimes even with unsavory fillings for dessert variations. This recipe is a bit more difficult but completely worth the effort. Let’s get started!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 5 tablespoons of cold butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup of water
- 12 ounces queso blanco cheese
- 1 quart of oil for frying
- guasacaca or any other dipping sauce
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients Together
Place flour, sugar, salt, and mix together. Cut butter into small bite-sized pieces and add to bowl with flour mixture.
Step 2: Combine With Egg to Form Dough
Add in egg and hand mix until it becomes flaky and crumbly. The butter should still be in small pieces.
Step 3: Add Water to Dough and Knead
Add in the 1/4 cup of water to flour mixture and mix with a fork. Continue adding water, little by little until it starts coming together and forms a dough.
Take out dough to your a working surface and knead, adding water if the dough is still overly dry and crumbly. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for up to 30 minutes.
Step 4: Let Dough Rest and Portion out Cheese Sticks
While dough rests, cut the queso blanco cheese into sticks 3-4 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide and should have a square-like shape. This should give you 24 pieces of cheese sticks.
Step 5: Roll out and Cut Dough Strips
On a floured working surface, take half of your dough and begin rolling it out. You want to measure it out to be a 12 by 14-inch rectangle.
Next, cut the dough into 1-inch wide strips lengthwise and do so until you get 12 strips. Each strip should be around 14 inches long and about an inch in width.
Step 6: Time to Wrap Our Cheese Sticks
Using one strip of dough per cheese stick, twist it around each cheese stick, overlapping the edges until you reach the top. Make sure the cheese is wrapped all the way, otherwise it may leak out during the frying process. Take out your other half of the dough and finish for the leftover cheese sticks.
Step 7: Fry!
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Fill a heavy skillet with oil and heat until 350° F. Once the oil has reached temperature, cook your cheese sticks in small quantities and try to brown all sides evenly. Place finished cheese sticks to a wire rack and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with guasacaca or any other dipping sauce you prefer. If made ahead of serving time or in large batches, you can keep them warm by covering in foil and placing in an oven set to low.
And there you have it, two great recipes to try out the next time you’re craving for the crunchy, cheesy goodness of a delicious cheese stick. Ordering mozzarella sticks or buying them at your grocery store is great but making them homemade will take the flavor and your appreciation for the cheesy snack to a whole new level.
What are some of your favorite cheese stick recipes? Favorite sauce choices? Tell us in the comment section below!
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