Mozzarella Sticks

These are so easy to make that it is just embarrassing to call this a recipe. I was buying mozzarella sticks in bulk because my daughter loved to snack on them, but just when I came home with three packages that were on sale, she decided she didn't like them anymore, so I threw them in the freezer and forgot about them. Fast forward a few weeks to when I was suddenly hit by strong memories of crunchy, gooey, oozing sticks of cheesy goodness dipped in marinara sauce from pizza stores past. After such vivid flashbacks it was a no-brainer what to do with the sticks in the freezer. Freezing the cheese  before making these is actually a great tip because it gives them more time to fry without the cheese melting out into the pan. Mozzarella isn't such a flavorful cheese, so what really gives these sticks their flavor is the breading and adding sesame seeds to the breading is just a pure stroke of genius (I'm so humble.) Altogether, the contrast of the hot crispy stick in the cool marinara sauce is sublime.

For the Breading:
1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp Mrs. Dash
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper
10 Mozzarella sticks, cut in half
Oil for frying
Marinara Sauce for dipping

Place egg and flour in separate bowls. Mix the bread crumbs and seasonings in a third bowl.  Dip each stick in flour, egg, flour, egg and then the crumb mixture (the double breading ensures an extra thick and crispy crust.) Heat oil till very hot and place sticks in the oil. They should sizzle right away. Fry for 30-45 seconds on each side and quickly remove. YUM!