Appetizers

American

Baked Arkansas Cheese Sticks

Breaded cheese sticks baked instead of deep-fried, with seasoned crumbs, panko, Parmesan and just enough freezer time to prevent the cheese from escaping like a dairy-based prison break.

What It Is

Frozen cheese sticks are coated in flour, egg, seasoned breadcrumbs, panko, Parmesan and parsley, then baked quickly at high heat until crisp outside and molten inside. The freezing steps are not decorative. Ignore them and your baking sheet may become modern cheese art.

Origin

Mozzarella sticks are a modern American restaurant and bar-food staple, though fried breaded cheese has older precedents. The exact inventor is disputed. 'Arkansas' is part of this Dinner by the Minute recipe’s own title and branding rather than a documented birthplace of mozzarella sticks.

Fun Fact

Mozzarella’s famous stretch comes from the structure created during pasta-filata cheesemaking, where the curd is heated and stretched. Heat it too far, however, and that stretch becomes a puddle with ambitions.

Prep

25 min

Cook

10 min

Temp

400°F (205°C)

Total

35 min

Servings

6 cheese sticks

(2 if company's coming and you're only pretending to like them)

Difficulty

moderate

Diet

Vegetarian, Nut-Free, Low-Carb

Away Mission

70 min walk

(Spock could calculate this more efficiently, but where's the fun in that)

#american #baked-appetizer #cheese-sticks #freezer-friendly #mozzarella #party-food

Ingredients

12 cheese sticks
2 large eggs
4 tbsp flour
½ cup herb-seasoned breadcrumbs
¾ cup panko crumbs
4 tsp Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dried parsley
Olive-oil cooking spray

Steps

Cut the cheese sticks in half to make 24 pieces. Freeze until solid.
Whisk the eggs in one bowl. Put the flour in a second dish. In a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, panko, Parmesan and parsley.
Coat each frozen cheese piece in flour, then egg, then the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange on a wax- or parchment-lined tray.
Freeze the coated cheese sticks for at least 1 additional hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and lightly coat with oil spray.
Arrange the frozen cheese sticks on the sheet and spray the tops lightly with oil. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 4–5 minutes.
Turn carefully and bake another 4–5 minutes, watching closely so the cheese softens without completely escaping the coating.

Notes

The original cookbook correctly emphasizes that the cheese must be frozen before baking or it may melt before the crumb coating becomes crisp.

Nutrition Facts

Per 4 cheese sticks

Calories 320

Burning this off: one beer-league hockey game, including the fighting.

% Daily Value*

Fat 21.0 g 28%

Saturated + Trans 10 g 50%

Cholesterol 105 mg

Sodium 400 mg 17%

Carbohydrate 17.0 g

Fibre 1.0 g 4%

Sugars 1.0 g 1%

Protein 15.0 g

Potassium 110 mg 2%

Calcium 330 mg 25%

Iron 1.5 mg 8%

*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot. Sodium levels calculated in a country with universal healthcare — and it's free, so don't worry about it too much.

A genuinely respectable nutrition profile. No red flags here — go ahead and feel a little smug about it.

Substitutions

Use gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs for a gluten-free coating. String cheese works well because it is already portioned. Add cayenne, Italian seasoning or garlic powder to the crumb mixture. Serve with marinara, ranch, pesto aioli, spicy mayo or whatever dip currently has diplomatic immunity in your fridge.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked cheese sticks in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Reheat in an oven or air fryer to restore crispness.

Freezing

Excellent for freezing before baking. Freeze coated sticks on a tray for at least 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen as directed, watching closely near the end.