Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

With the NBA playoffs coming up (I say “Go Trailblazers!” and my wife is an unapologetic Jazz fan) we’ve been making up appetizers and finger foods. Nothing is better than a hot bit of deep fried cheese!

Sure, you can go to the frozen section of the nearest grocery store and grab a giant bag of frozen sticks. We prefer to make our own – you can mix up what cheese you use, and make up some fresh breadcrumbs if you want. You’ll always know you have the freshest ingredients and the best quality ingredients without all the preservatives or chemicals the store bought variety will have.

Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Appetizer, Cheese, Comfort Foods, Fried, Sides, Vegetarian

Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Ingredients

10 oz block of Mozzarella cheese
3 Eggs
2 TBS Milk
2 1/2 cups of seasoned breadcrumbs

Instructions

Cut cheese into 20 1/2″ square strips weighing about 1/2 oz each.
In a shallow bowl or dish beat together eggs and milk. Place breadcrumbs in another shallow dish.
Dredge cheese strips in breadcrumbs, then dredge in the egg mixture. Place back into breadcrumbs and coat thoroughly.
Preheat deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the strips in batches for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until crispy and golden. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.

If freezing for later:

After breading the cheese, place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in freezer for 2 hours.
Place in air tight bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Fried cheese not your thing? Start the party off right with our other appetizers like Fried Calamari or Homemade French Fries!

April 8, 2019May 20, 2019

Homemade French Fries

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The average American eats 30lbs of French Fries a year! (Source) I haven’t met a person who doesn’t love the fried potato-ey goodness that is the crispy french fry!

Everyone knows french fries are best when they are fresh out of the oil. Nothing is worse than when you get your food to go and get home to find your fries limp and cold. Making them yourself is the best way to combat this!

French Fries

Appetizer, Comfort Foods, Freezer, Fried, Potatoes, Sides, Vegetarian

French Fries

Ingredients

5lbs Russet potatoes
1 TBS Lemon Juice
Fryer oil of your choice
Salt and other spices to taste

Instructions

Cut potatoes into 1/4″ strips. Place them into a large bowl and cover with water – water should be a few inches over the potatoes.
Add of lemon juice to water and stir. Allow fries to soak for a minimum of 30 minutes. For best results fries should be soaked for 1-2 hours.
Preheat deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Drain water and remove potatoes from the bowl. Dab fries dry with a paper towel. **THIS IS IMPORTANT! Do not add wet fries to hot oil!
Deep fry handful-sized batches of fries for 3 minutes, shaking frying basket about every 30 seconds to keep fries from sticking together. Remove from oil and drain. Allow fries to return to room temperature.
Once fries have cooled, return to oil and fry again for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oil and drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot!

Make ahead fries for the freezer

After the first 3 minute cook time (see step 5 above), allow fries to cool to room temperature. Arrange on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. You can layer the fries with parchment paper in between.
Place in freezer for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Place frozen fries into freezer safe bags. Remove as much air as possible. Frozen fries can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
When ready to eat, cook as instructed above for the second cooking time.

We serve ours hot next to our barbecue pulled pork sandwiches or smothered in chili and cheese.

March 26, 2019June 27, 2019

Fried Calamari

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

No matter the occasion, we just can’t seem to say no to fried food. Even when we hit up our favorite Italian place we are always tempted to grab fried calamari for our appetizer.

I noticed a local restaurant oversupply store we frequent had frozen calamari and I just had to try my hand at it.

And it turned out AMAZING!

I was so surprised! I thought I would have to tinker with the recipe for a while, but I got it right off the bat.

We used our Presto deep fryer to crisp these bad boys up. You can find it here:

Fried Calamari

Appetizer, Dinner, Fried, Seafood, Sides

Fried Calamari

Ingredients

1 lb calamari
2 cups flour
2 pinches cayenne pepper
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup + 1/2 TBS lemon juice

Instructions

In a large bowl, place calamari. Cover calamari with 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Stir to make sure all calamari is coated. Cover and refrigerate, soaking for no less than 30 minutes and no more than 3 hours.
In a large mixing bowl, combine milk and 1/2 TBS of lemon juice for a buttermilk like mixture. In another large mixing bowl, combine flour and the cayenne pepper.
Preheat deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dredge the soaked calamari into the flour mixture, then into the juice, then back into the flour.
Deep fry breaded calamari in batches for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels or a cooling rack.
Serve with our lemon basil dipping sauce.

I served ours up with a lemon basil dipping sauce that is to die for! I had extra and ate it up with some fried shrimp as well. It is sooo good! You need to check it out!