Fried Cheese Sticks With Tomato Sauce Recipes

MOZZARELLA STICKS WITH CHILLI TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls, seasoning each. Stir the dried oregano and garlic granules into the breadcrumbs.
• Coat the mozzarella sticks in the flour, dust off any excess, then dip into the beaten egg. Gently shake to remove the excess egg, then turn in the breadcrumbs until well-coated. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and arrange in a single layer, then freeze for 1 hr until completely solid.
• To make the dipping sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan, and fry the chillies and garlic for 2-3 mins until fragrant. Tip in the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and some seasoning. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 12-15 mins until thick and saucy. If you prefer a smooth sauce, blitz with a stick blender. Season to taste - you may need to add a little more sugar, vinegar or salt. Leave to cool. Will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to three days, or the freezer for up to three months.
• Fill a heavy-based saucepan no more than a third full of oil and heat to 180C, or until a cube of bread sizzles when dropped into the oil, and browns in about 30 seconds. Gently lower in the frozen mozzarella sticks - you'll need to do this in two batches to ensure the temperature remains high - and fry for 2-3 mins until the cheesy middle is melted and the outside is crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve straightaway, or leave to cool. Will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to three days, or the freezer for up to three months.
• To reheat, heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and bake on a tray for 8-10 mins until heated through. Season and serve with warm dipping sauce.

GOOEY CHEESE STICKS (FRIED OR BAKED)

Steps:

• Open the cheese strings and cut each in half. Cover and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours or until completely frozen.
• Combine flour and cornstarch in a small bowl. Combine the Italian and Panko bread crumbs in a separate shallow dish. In third small bowl, whisk eggs and olive oil until well combined.
• Dip each cheese stick half into the egg mixture and then gently roll into the flour mixture.
• Put back into the egg mixture and roll until coated. Finally, place into the bread crumbs pressing the crumbs on each piece of cheese to make sure it's coated all around so the cheese doesn't leak out.
• Place in the freezer while the oil preheats. Preheat oil to 350°F. It should be hot enough that a few crumbs dropped into the oil will bubble.
• In small batches, place breaded cheese sticks into the hot oil for about 2 minutes or just until browned. Do not overcook or the cheese will leak out.
• Serve hot with warm pasta sauce.

AIR-FRIED MOZZARELLA CHEESE BITES WITH SPICY MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk egg and water together in a shallow dish. Stir flour, salt, and Italian seasoning together in another shallow dish. Place bread crumbs in a third shallow dish.
• Dip cheese sticks into egg mixture, then coat with flour mixture. Dip again into egg mixture, then into bread crumbs until coated. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat an air fryer to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly coat the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
• Place frozen cheese bites in a single layer in the air fryer, working in batches if necessary, being careful not to crowd.
• Cook in the preheated air fryer until golden brown and cheese just begins to melt, 4 to 6 minutes. Repeat with remaining bites.
• Meanwhile, stir together marinara sauce and crushed red pepper.
• Serve mozzarella bites with marinara sauce.

HOME-FRIED CHEESE STICKS

Steps:

• Remove string cheese sticks from plastic wrappings and cut the strings in half crosswise.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place eggs in a bowl and bread crumbs into a large shallow bowl.
• Dip cheese stick halves into egg and roll in bread crumbs to completely coat the sticks; place breaded cheese sticks onto the prepared baking sheet. Allow cheese sticks to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes to set, and repeat dipping in egg and bread crumbs to form a thick coating. Freeze breaded cheese sticks for at least 2 hours.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Deep fry cheese sticks, a few at a time, until the coating is golden brown and crisp and the cheese is soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Let sticks drain on paper towels; cool slightly and serve warm.

TEQUEñOS WITH GUASACACA (VENEZUELAN FRIED CHEESE STICKS WITH AVOCADO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Cut the cheese into 3-inch-long planks, then cut them into sticks. Ideally, each one would be 1/2-by-1/2-by-3 inches but the shape of your cheese will dictate the dimensions and number of sticks. If the cheese is hard and crumbles easily, you may want cut it into wider rectangular planks instead of sticks. If using white cheese for frying or mozzarella, heavily salt the cheese, then place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and let the liquid release while you prepare the dough.
• Working with one empanada disc at a time (keep the rest stacked with their liners, or they'll start to dry out the when you separate them), cut it into six 1-inch-wide strips. Remove the liners in between the discs and reserve them; they will come in handy if storing the tequeños later.
• Fill a small bowl with water. Dab water onto one end of each of the 2 shortest strips, overlap and press them together to create a strip that's as long as one of the remaining four strips.
• Spread the strips out, then dab the ends of one with water and slightly flatten. Place a cheese stick on the strip at an angle and wrap to cover the top of the cheese, pinching if necessary. Once the top is secure, wrap the dough around the stick, overlapping as you go, until the whole stick is covered with no cheese peeking through. You may need to pull and slightly stretch the dough to completely cover the end of the cheese stick. Cut off any excess dough and reserve it to patch up other tequeños, if necessary. If you need to attach another half strip with some water to completely seal, do so. Give the stick a very gentle roll and a tap on either end to seal. Repeat with the remaining cheese and discs. Depending on which cheese you use, you may have discs leftover. Save these for another use.
• The wrapped tequeños can be stacked in an airtight container, each layer separated with the reserved liners, and frozen for up to 3 months or they can be fried immediately.
• If frying right away, heat 2 inches of oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot to 325 degrees F. Place a couple of tequeños in the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, flipping once or twice, until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Bring the oil back up to the correct temperature in between batches.
• Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Let cool slightly before serving with the guasacaca, for dipping.
• Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or sugar, if necessary. The guasacaca can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

WOK-FRIED MOZZARELLA STICKS WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Pass tomatoes through the grater disc of a food processor. Stir in salt, olive oil, black pepper and basil. Set aside.
• Cut cheese curd into very small pieces and place in shallow, wide heatproof dish a couple inches deep, like a roasting pan.
• In large pot over high heat, bring 2 quarts water to 185 to 190 degrees. Stir in kosher salt, then pour over curds. Let curds sit, undisturbed, for a full minute.
• Press curds into corner of the pan with spoon or spatula and gently pack together. In three to four minutes, they will form a mass. The moment that happens, pour water from pan and knead cheese like bread dough until smooth and lump-free. (At this point, if not continuing with recipe, the cheese can be twisted into balls, plunged into cold water or milk to set the shape, and eaten as fresh mozzarella.)
• Press cheese into a loaf pan and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, to set it. Meanwhile, set up station to bread the mozzarella: a shallow dish of flour, a shallow dish of beaten eggs and a shallow dish of bread crumbs.
• Move mozzarella to cutting board and trim into batons about 3 inches long and an inch thick. Roll in flour and then egg, flour and then egg again, and heap on the bread crumbs.
• Heat oil in a wok on stove over high heat. At 375 degrees, use a slotted spoon to lower mozzarella sticks into oil one at a time. Fry for a minute or less - just until golden brown. Drain on rack; blot dry. Serve mozzarella sticks with sauce on the side.

FRIED CHEESE STICKS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small saucepan.
• Stir in tomato sauce, mushrooms, oregano and basil.
• Bring to boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Cover and keep warm while frying cheese.
• Combine bread crumbs, wheat germ and red pepper in a small bowl.
• Cut cheese into 2x1/2x1/2-inch sticks or 1 inch cubes.
• Dip each piece of cheese in eggs, then into the flour and then the crumbs to coat well; repeat one more time to ensure even coating.
• Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 375 degrees.
• Fry a few cheese pieces at a time for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until golden on all sides. (do not overcook or you will have a melted mess).
• Drain well on paper towels.
• Serve warm with tomato sauce.