For me, it’s always hard to stick to eating healthy during the weekends. Monday through Friday, I pack the healthiest of lunches to work, and I prep dinner with the same health-conscious mentality. But weekends are my weak spot, especially on Football Sundays.
When the apps hit the table – buffalo chicken dip, bacon and cheese poppers, etc. – I just can’t resist. One turns into three, and so forth. But on Sunday as my boyfriend and I were preparing to watch Sunday Night Football, we needed some apps – and I thought, hey, I can make something somewhat healthy and still enjoy snacking while watching the game.
So I turned to Pinterest for some inspiration and was pleasantly surprised with an easy, healthy alternative to fried, pre-packaged mozzarella sticks. Best yet – all you need is three ingredients:
- Cheese sticks (I used reduced fat mozzarella sticks)
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Your favorite seasoning (I chose Italian Herb Seasoning)
Here’s the simple to-do list – and trust me, you want to try this! The original recipe is from CupcakePedia.com.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a foiled baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Take a package of mozzarella sticks, and cut each in half. You can make as many as you want – I cut four sticks in half, making a total of 8.
- From there, I took each cheese stick and dipped it in water. This will help the breadcrumbs stick to the stick easily.
- Coat each cheese stick with Panko breadcrumbs. I like using Panko brand since it is slightly healthier and lighter than traditional breadcrumbs.
- From there, lay each stick on your greased baking sheet, and sprinkle with your preferred seasoning. I liked using some Italian Herb Seasoning for this, but feel free to be creative.
- Pop the baking sheet in a preheated oven for about 5 minutes. Check the sticks frequently because if you overcook them (which can easily be done), you will just have melted blobs instead of sticks.
- Serve with a side of marinara sauce and eat up!
These are too easy to not make, and I think we’ll be seeing more of these as football season continues.