TGI Friday’s Mozzarella Sticks Made Skinny
Ingredients
Ingredients for Mozzarella Sticks:
- 12 light string cheese sticks, I used WW Smoke Flavored String Cheese or any brand of light low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks, see shopping tips
- 1 large egg, I like Egg-Land’s Best
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup panko crumbs, see shopping tips
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- Cooking spray, I like olive oil cooking spray
Ingredients for Dipping:
- ¾ cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce, I used Classico Pizza Sauce, see shopping tips
Instructions
- Cut each cheese stick in half to create 24 pieces. Place cheese pieces on a plate and freeze for at least 1 hour until frozen. These can be stored for several days in the freezer until ready to use. Wrap them in plastic wrap, once frozen.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg. Place flour in another small bowl. In a third small bowl, add panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- To assemble mozzarella sticks: Dip frozen sticks in flour, shaking off excess, then into egg, then finally coat with panko crumbs. Repeat steps to coat all of them.
- Place all coated sticks on the baking sheet. Spray the tops with cooking spray.
- Bake for 5 minutes, turn over and spray with a little more cooking spray. Bake an additional 4-5 minutes until heated but NOT melted. In fact, be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t melt!
- Remove from oven and place on a plate. Serve with pizza sauce on the side. Refrigerate any leftovers. They will keep for several days. To reheat, either zap in microwave for a few seconds or place on a baking sheet and heat in a 400-degree oven until warm but not melted.
Nutrition
Serving: 2sticksCalories: 81kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 7gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 277mgSugar: 1gBlue Smart Points: 2Green Smart Points: 2Plus Points: 2