Making Gooey Cheese Sticks At Home (Fried or Baked)

One of my favorite crispy finger snacks is homemade cheese sticks, coupled with oven-baked potato skins.

The initial bite starts with a delightfully crunchy exterior coating and is quickly followed by an unexpectedly soft, gooey, and cheese-filled center.

For a delicious appetizer that the whole family will enjoy, serve them with homemade marinara sauce.

For this dish(Gooey Cheese Sticks), make sure to use cheese strings rather than cheese sticks. It melts more easily and prevents cheese leakage.

Make Gooey Cheese Sticks at Home

Making homemade cheese sticks is incredibly simple! Since cheese strings will not melt as quickly as conventional cheese, it is vital to buy them instead of just mozzarella.

Even while the cornstarch combination looks untidy and seems excessive, it actually works to keep the cheese within.

1. The cheese strings should be peeled open, sliced in half, and frozen.
2. Place the cheese strings through four stages of dredging: beaten egg, flour/cornstarch mixture, egg again, and bread crumbs.
3. To get the egg to soak into the flour mixture, which will often be a thick coating, it may be necessary to roll the mixture a little.
4. To produce a uniform coating, press the breadcrumbs into each cheese string.
5. Make careful to add the ingredients in this order: Egg, Flour Mix, Egg, and Bread Crumbs.
6. Place each in heated oil and sauté until barely browned, then freeze for later use. Serve right away.

Cooking Gooey Cheese Sticks

Deep frying produces the greatest results for these cheese sticks since it makes them crunchy and delectable.

They can be baked in the oven or fried in an air fryer, however frying yields the greatest results! It’s typical for some cheese to leak out during baking or air frying, but don’t worry—they’ll still taste great!

Spray cheese sticks with cooking spray before baking. Set the oven to 400 °F. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crumbs are crunchy.

Cooking cheese sticks in an air fryer requires: heating the air fryer to 400 degrees. For 4-6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crumbs are crisp, cook cheese sticks in small batches.

Rules for eating Gooey Cheese Sticks

Cheese:

Buy cheese strings rather than plain mozzarella since they melt differently.

Freeze:

Before you start, completely freeze your cheese to prevent it from oozing out when cooking.

Crumbs:

Make sure to gently press each cheese stick with the breadcrumbs. Instead of the cheese inside, you want the oil to contact the breadcrumbs.

Cooking Time:

You only want the breading to become crispy; do not overcook your cheese sticks. The cheese will melt and start to drip out if they are cooked for too long.

What dipping sauces pair nicely with cheese sticks that are crunchy and fried?

Many people like to serve their cheese sticks with traditional marinara sauce, but bolognese sauce would make a meatier alternative. The homemade ranch is another delectable dipping sauce.

I enjoy eating ‘pub grub’ like loaded nachos, chicken wings, potato skins, sausage balls, or ham and cheese sliders with cheese sticks as an appetizer.

For a fun lunch or dinner, I often like to serve these crispy, cheese pieces as a side dish with tomato soup.

prep time	10 minutes
cook time	5 minutes
total time	15 minutes

Ingredients for Gooey Cheese Sticks

• 16 Mozzarella string cheese sticks must be string cheese
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup corn starch
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• ¾ cup Italian bread crumbs
• ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
• oil for frying

Instructions

1. Cut each cheese string in half after opening it. For at least two hours or until totally frozen, cover and place in the freezer.
2. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and flour. In another shallow dish, mix the Italian and Panko bread crumbs. Whisk eggs and olive oil thoroughly in a third small bowl.
3. Each cheese stick half should be gently rolled in the flour mixture after being dipped in the egg mixture.
4. Reintroduce and roll in the egg mixture until coated. In order to prevent the cheese from leaking out, lay each piece of cheese into the bread crumbs and press the crumbs onto it.
5. While the oil is heating, place it in the freezer. Heat the oil to 350°F. The oil ought should be heated enough to bubble when a few crumbs are dropped into it.
6. Breaded cheese sticks should be added to the hot oil in small batches and cooked for 2 minutes, or just until browned. Avoid overcooking to prevent cheese leakage.
7. Serve the pasta hot with warm sauce.

Nutrition information