Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you’re all hanging in there. We’re almost to the weekend!
Before I race into morning meetings and play a little catch-up with my e-mail inbox- I wanted to share a quick, easy, and cheesy (in a good way) recipe I whipped up for ‘Girls Day’ brunch this past weekend. You just need a handful of ingredients, a couple of bowls, and about 30 minutes of patience- and you’ve got yourself a crunchy, gooey appetizer that is perfect for pre-gaming for Springtime sporting events or for long afternoons of Netflix-binging. Whatever your Lazy Sunday itinerary consists of!
Think of these as a rounder, slightly-crispier spin on a traditional mozzarella stick.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1½ cups bread crumbs
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnishing
- 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed for dipping
READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
- Line a large plate with several layers of paper towels. In a small pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it reads 360°F to 370°F on a thermometer. (Note: This is a relatively high frying temperature, which gets the outside crust crispy before the inside cheese can melt too much. Keep an eye on the temperature of the oil, and if it gets too hot, turn off the heat.)
- Taking the mozzarella, break off pieces about an inch long and roll between your palms to create a round/ball shape. Continue doing this until you have the desired number of bites.
- Place the flour in a medium bowl, the egg in a second medium bowl and the bread crumbs in a third medium bowl.
- Working in batches, dredge the cheese balls in flour to coat, then in egg, then in bread crumbs. Repeat until all the cheese is breaded.
- Fry the mozzarella in the preheated oil until golden brown on the outside, then remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to the prepared paper-towel-lined plate. Season immediately with salt.
- To serve, garnish the mozzarella with parsley, then serve immediately with a side of warm marinara sauce.
I love simple recipes that satisfy- so seeing how quickly these cheese bites went and knowing that I didn’t spend an entire afternoon making them was a pretty fantastic feeling. I’m planning another batch for this coming Friday night when I show up to bi-weekly dinner with my family.
I know my niece- who never turns down anything with cheese in it- is going to love these!
But for now, it’s time to hustle and make some money here at work.
Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone! See you all on Friday!
xx
– Ashley –
Blondie Birdie 