Panko Mozzarella Sticks

So, here's another Pioneer Woman recipe. Fried, panko-covered, ooey-gooey mozzarella sticks. Yes. I did it, I made them. I had a craving, I gave in and now I have a smile on my face. A big smile because it was delicious, which is no surprise because after all, it IS a Pioneer Woman recipe.

Anyways this recipe is super easy. I actually didn't even really follow the recipe, and used it more as a guideline. I just felt like a little snack so I made a teeny portion for myself, eyeing everything. I literally whipped this up in less than 15 minutes. So if you're ever craving something salty, cheesy and yummy, this is it. I enjoyed mine with some of my homemade Korean-Mexican hot sauce hybrid because I didn't have marinara on hand, and let me tell you, it was pretty delicious.

Yields: 8 servings

Adapted from here.

16 pieces string cheese, removed from wrappers

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

3 tbsn. milk

2 cups panko bread crumbs

1 tbsn. dried parsley flakes (I used 2 tbsn. of fresh)

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

Canola oil, for frying

Slice the string cheese in half (I sliced them in four for bite-sized pieces). Place the flour in a small bowl. In another separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the parsley, salt, pepper and garlic, stir to combine. In a shallow dish, whisk the eggs with the milk to combine. To assemble, one by one, dust the cheese in the flour, tapping the excess off. Next, dip the cheese in the egg mixture, covering completely. Then lastly, roll the cheese in the panko crumb mixture. Gently remove and place on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in a freezer for 20 - 30 minutes to flash freeze sticks.

To cook, fill a medium saucepan with the canola oil until it reaches a height of about 1 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. When hot, add the mozzarella sticks, 8 pieces at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. Do not allow the cheese to bubble and leak. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Enjoy!