Tis the season of tailgating! And what a fun season it is. Entertaining friends and family moves from outside to inside, we get to make fun hot drinks like hot apple cider and mulled wine, and we get to try out all new kinds of recipes for appetizers and snacks. Is “snacks” anyone else’s favorite kind of food?? (I guess being from America’s Dairyland, “snacks” just means we get to consume more cheese)

Mozzarella sticks sound a lot harder to make than they actually are, and these aren’t your regular mozzarella sticks. Black garlic gives them an extra little somethin’ somethin’ that you won’t find in your local sports bar. Make these next time you’re hosting to wow your guests. In fact…go ahead and make two batches. And enjoy!

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time:  20 minutes   

Ingredients

• 1½ cups Italian-style dried breadcrumbs

• 1⅓ cups freshly grated Parmesan

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 (16-ounce) blocks pasteurized mozzarella cut into 4 by 1/2-inch sticks

• 4 large eggs, beaten to blend

• 1½ cups vegetable oil

• 2 Black Garlic cloves, finely chopped

Directions

Stir the bread crumbs, Parmesan, black garlic and salt in a medium bowl. Ensure the mixture is blended well.

Dip the cheese in the eggs and ensure the cheese is coated completely. Let the excess egg drip back into the bowl. Coat the cheese in the bread crumb mixture, patting down so it will stick 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. Place the cheese sticks back on the baking sheet. Cover and freeze. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the cheese sticks until golden brown, about 1 minute per side.