panko mozzarella sticks.

we LOVE mozzarella sticks and i have an obsession with panko bread crumbs. they seriously make everything taste much better. so when i found Pioneer Woman's recipe that fused the two, i knew we found something delicious.

I eyeballed most of the ingredients...the "official" recipe is at the bottom, its always fun to make a recipe your own.

Side note: these little white trays are a life-saver, perfect for breading anything. Anyway, take the string cheese and roll it in these three trays to cover. This sticks don't want to stick to the breading, so just get as much breading on the cheese as possible :)

This is what they should look like once finished. Then put in the freezer for about 30 minutes to freeze, before pan frying. (I could not get a good picture of them cooking to save my life...so I am sure you can imagine how amazingly good these look while frying!!)

Enjoy! With or without marinara sauce. 

And the fact that my mozzarella sticks are not beautiful did not affect their taste at all.

Pioneer Woman's Recipe for Panko Mozzarella Sticks

• 16 pieces string cheese, removed from wrappers and cut in half
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 whole eggs
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• canola oil, for frying
• marinara sauce, for dipping

Place flour in small bowl.

In another bowl, whisk eggs and milk.

In a separate bowl, combine panko with parsley.

One by one, roll mozzarella sticks in flour, then dunk in egg/milk mixture, then place in panko crumbs. Use your hand to sweep crumbs all over the mozzarella stick. Gently remove and place on sheet. Repeat until all are covered. Place covered mozzarella sticks in freezer for 20-30 minutes to flash freeze.

To cook: Heat 1 to 1.5 inches of canola oil in large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add mozzarella sticks 8 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 to a paper-lined plate. Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.

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