Crispy Oven Baked Cheese Sticks and "Unfried" Pickles

This is a healthier way to enjoy the typical fried appetizers you love. They are baked, not fried, and get their nice crispy coating from a mixture of panko and bread crumbs. You can spice up the coating mixture with whatever you are in the mood for, i.e Italian herbs, smoky cumin, spicy cayenne. Choose your favorite dipping sauce and you are ready for a real treat.

Ingredients:

1 package low-skim mozzarella cheese sticks
3 egg whites + 1 T water
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and set a baking rack on top.

Unwrap the cheese sticks and set aside.  Stir together the egg whites and water in a shallow dish.  In another shallow dish, stir together the panko, bread crumbs, and seasonings.

Dip the cheese sticks into the egg whites, then roll around in the coating mixture.  Set on prepared baking sheet rack.  Repeat for all cheese sticks.  Starting with the first cheese stick, repeat the dipping and coating process again.  Repeat for all cheese sticks.  Spray with olive oil cooking spray.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is soft but not melting.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with kosher salt.  Arrange on serving platter and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.  I used some homemade marinara that I store in the freezer in small ziplock freezer bags.

Use the same process for the dill pickle slices.  I used Buttermilk Garlic Dip for the pickles.

Try my recipes for Baked Onion Rings too.