Mozzarella Sticks

Celebrate the oozy gooey. 
Prep time: 20 minutes                  |             Total time: 2.5 hours             |             Yield: 12

Ingredients

· 12 stick s of string cheese

· 1 1/2 cups panko-style breadcrumbs 

· 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning

· 1/2 teaspoon table salt
· Freshly ground pepper to taste

· 4 eggs
· 1 cup of all-purpose flour

· Canola oil for frying

Directions

1. Spread the flour and breadcrumbs on separate plates (pie plates work well for this). Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs and mix well. Place the eggs in a small bowl and beat them lightly.
2. Drop a piece of cheese into the flour and roll it around until it is well covered. Shake off the excess flour and dip the cheese into the egg mixture before rolling it in the breadcrumbs until well coated. One last time, dip the breadcrumb coated cheese back into the beaten egg and roll again in breadcrumbs to create an extra crispy coating. Set aside on a clean plate and repeat with the remaining cheese sticks. Once all of the mozzarella has been breaded, place the plate into the freezer uncovered and freeze until the breadcrumb coating is firm, at least 2 hours.
3. Pour enough oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot to come to a depth of at least 2 inches. Heat oil until it reaches a temperature of 350°. Fry the mozzarella sticks in batches until crispy and browned on the exterior, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Source: Food People Want