Happy Hour

I must be thinking with my stomach today.  While singing a hymn in church this morning, I confess that my thoughts turned to donuts occasionally.  There was just something about fried bread with a cup of coffee that was singing to me.  Then, after the lunch hour I couldn't stop dreaming of fried, breaded cheese.  So, naturally I made my own mozzarella sticks!

It turns out that you must put the prepared sticks in the freezer for at least two hours before frying them to keep the cheese from oozing out.  The wait was TORTURE!  But, when they were all ready to eat it was 4:30 and so we had "Happy Hour" in our own home!  Served with an ice cold mug of milk, these sticks of gooey fried goodness were quite the snack.

Happy Hour Mozzarella Sticks (modified from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe)

1 cup Italian-style dried breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
12 sticks string cheese
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

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 or ranch dressing.

Uh oh, I think I may have started a new tradition around here!