PDA

View Full Version : Mozzarella Sticks: Baked not Fried?


SusanL
02-01-2006, 04:00 AM
Could I prepare these and bake them instead? Any ideas, we are not big on frying foods but thought if we baked them instead...


Mozzarella Sticks
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings (makes about 56 pieces)
User Rating:

1 1/2 cups Italian-style dried breadcrumbs
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
2 (16-ounce) blocks pasteurized mozzarella cut into 4 by 1/2-inch sticks
4 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 cups Marinara Sauce, recipe follows

Stir the bread crumbs, 1 cup of Parmesan and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl to blend. Dip the cheese in the eggs to coat completely and allow the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Coat the cheese in the bread crumb mixture, patting to adhere and coat completely. Place the cheese sticks on a baking sheet. Repeat dipping the cheese sticks in the egg and bread crumb mixture to coat a second time. Cover and freeze until frozen, about 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the cheese until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the fried cheese to plates. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve with the Marinara Sauce.


Marinara Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 (32 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Yield: 2 quarts
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes





Episode#: EI1D01
Copyright © 2003 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

NMG
02-01-2006, 05:27 AM
I personally would bake them at high temp (not a big frying fan either) - maybe 475 or do you have a convection oven???? If you have convection bake (convection roast should work too) it will crisp up the outside and leave the middle all nice and gooey - yum!! I really feel convection cooks everything much better all the way thru.......

donleyk
02-01-2006, 05:29 AM
I wouldn't hesitate to bake these. Just spray them with cooking spray, that helps crisp them.

mrswaz
02-01-2006, 06:26 AM
Just keep a close eye on them. I've puchased frozen mozz. sticks before that needed to be cooked in the oven. All it takes is one minute to go from mozzarella sticks to empty crumb casings sitting in a puddle of charred cheese. Not very good.

I don't see any reason why these wouldn't work for you in the oven. Looks pretty straightforward to me, and very similar to CL recipes that call for oven frying. If you wanted to lighten them a bit you could use all egg whites instead of beaten eggs for dunking.

zwieback
02-01-2006, 06:28 AM
I tried this recipe once and baked them instead of frying. I just made them as a quick snack and only froze them for about half an hour. The cheese oozed somewhat but, they still tasted good. I think they would work a lot better by freezing them at least the suggested time. But, all in all, the baking works well. I would do as donleyk said and spray them with cooking spray or olive oil or dab with a little melted butter or something to help them crisp up.

funnybone
02-01-2006, 08:08 AM
Here's a variation to the traditional Mozzarella sticks that are baked and made with puff pastry. . I have not made them myself, but I did have them before. They were delicious.


http://www.puffpastry.com/images/recipes/detail_27204.jpg

Crispy Mozzarella Sticks

Thaw Time: 40 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 17 minutes

Serves: 12

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (17.3 oz.) Pepperidge Farm® Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets)
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pkg. (12 oz.) mozzarella cheese snack sticks (12 sticks)
1 cup Prego® Marinara Pasta Sauce

Directions:
Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes or until they’re easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the egg and water with a fork in a small bowl. Put the Parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl.

Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut the pastry into 6 (5 x 3-inch) rectangles. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.

Put a mozzarella stick on the long edge of each pastry rectangle and roll up in the pastry. Press pastry gently along the long edge and pinch the ends to seal. Place pastry rolls seam-side down on work surface.

Brush the tops of the pastry rolls with the egg mixture. Dip the tops in Parmesan cheese and place cheese-side up 1-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. ***** the tops of the pastry rolls with a fork 6 times down the length of each roll.

Bake for 17 minutes or until golden. (Some cheese may ooze out.).

Heat the pasta sauce in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Put the baked rolls on a serving platter. Serve warm with the pasta sauce for dipping.

dorothyntototoo
02-01-2006, 08:30 AM
This recipe for Onion Rings was in today's Kansas City Star Food section. It might give you ideas for different coatings & baking info for your mozzarella sticks. Guess I'll have to buy some corn flakes - I wonder if Lucky Charms would work! :D

Guilt-free onion rings
Makes 4 servings

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely crushed cornflakes
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1 to 2 medium yellow onions, sliced 1/4 -inch thick and separated into rings
2 slightly beaten egg whites
Vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray coating. In a shallow pie plate combine bread crumbs, cornflakes, salt and pepper. Dip onions into egg whites, then in crumb mixture. Arrange onion rings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spray onions with nonstick spray coating.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the onions are tender and the coating is crisp and golden.

Per serving: 52 calories (7 percent from fat), trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 9 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 172 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.

mrswaz
02-01-2006, 08:44 AM
Here's a variation to the traditional Mozzarella sticks that are baked and made with puff pastry. . I have not made them myself, but I did have them before. They were delicious.



These look fantastic! A nice change from breadcrumbs, I will have to try this soon, I think. Yum!

sfarler
02-01-2006, 08:48 AM
Dorothy, I've made those onion rings before and they were great. I think the coating would also work for cheese.

I'm not so sure about the Lucky Charms, tho. :D

SusanL
02-01-2006, 04:19 PM
I will try it on Friday night. I originally wanted to make these for Sunday but found out it won't be at our house, change of venue~ but still think that they would be fun to have, so appetizers for us on Friday. Will post when I can, really busy weekend!

SueK
02-01-2006, 05:35 PM
Susan - I'd love to hear how they turned out and what you did with them. I've made these before and they were fantastic, but I did fry them. I'd like to make them for Sunday's game and would prefer to bake them. TIA!

SusanL
02-05-2006, 06:06 AM
I ran out of time this weekend, if I can I am winging it and baking them late this afternoon. I really thought I would have time to make them :( . I am getting ready to go into school to do some work, then stop at the store. Let me know if you made them, they really look great!

badunnin
02-05-2006, 08:13 AM
This recipe for Onion Rings was in today's Kansas City Star Food section. It might give you ideas for different coatings & baking info for your mozzarella sticks. Guess I'll have to buy some corn flakes - I wonder if Lucky Charms would work! :D

I can tell you from experience (thanks Dad!) that Frosted Flakes do NOT work when breading pork chops. *shudder* ;)