Cereal-Crusted Mozzarella Sticks Take Us to a Happy Place
If your go-to appetizer is an order those infamous sticks of deep-fried cheese, please direct your attention here. To make the ultimate breakfast mozzarella stick, we covered thick, gooey cheese with cereal—don’t freak out, it’s only cornflakes. The impossibly crisp cereal forms a crust around creamy mozzarella before taking a bath in hot oil. The result? A crunchy golden brown exterior, warm melting cheese on the inside. We don’t want to cause trouble, but a cornflake crust seriously eclipses breadcrumbs. Just wait until you dip one of these bad boys in some runny egg yolk. Better yet, smash them right onto your morning egg sandwich.
Crunch cornflakes into a coarse meal, then roll egg-dredged sticks of string cheese into the cereal. A zip in hot oil and out comes the ideal breakfast mozzarella stick. Instead of the classic tomato sauce accompaniment, dip cornflake mozzarella sticks in a sweet and spicy pepper jelly sauce.
Cornflake-Crusted Mozzarella Sticks With Spicy Pepper Jelly
How to Make It
Heat oil in a large, high-sided skillet or saucepan over medium to 375°F, about 10 minutes.
While oil heats, whisk together jelly, vinegar, red pepper, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
Place cornflakes in a large ziplock plastic freezer bag. Seal bag, and crush cornflakes until they form a coarse meal. Transfer crushed cornflakes to a shallow baking dish or pie pan. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Place flour in a second shallow dish. Whisk together eggs and milk in a third shallow dish.
Roll 6 of the cheese sticks in flour. Dredge in egg mixture, and place in cornflakes mixture, pressing to adhere. Carefully place coated cheese sticks in hot oil. Fry until golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds. Using a flat slotted spatula, transfer fried cheese sticks to a wire rack or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat procedure twice with remaining 12 cheese sticks. Serve with jelly mixture.
