Cheez-It® Fried Cheese Sticks

These Cheez-It® Fried Cheese Sticks give a mouth full of warm, melting, creamy cheese covered with the flavorful crunch of a delicious Cheez-It® breading. These gooey appetizers cook in just a few minutes and don't need more than 15 minutes of preparation.

 If you are looking for a great Cheese Sticks recipe that is slightly different and provides wonderful Cheez-It® flavor, give this recipe a try.

🧀 What makes this recipe special?

Cheese sticks are always a good appetizer or snack, but a few other things are great about this recipe. You can prep them ahead of time and keep them in the freezer until you are ready to cook.

Also, if you are a fan of Cheez-Its®, you have to give this a try! This recipe stays true to cheese sticks but presents a distinct Cheez-It® flavor for anybody that loves these little crackers or wants to try something different.

If you are looking for other appetizers for your party, consider these Sweet and Spicy Dry Rub Wings, Cheesy Fried Pickles, or these awesome Hawaiian Roll Baked Pizza Sliders. Whatever you make, make sure to treat yourself.

🥖 Ingredients

There is not much to these little appetizers. Here is what you will need:

• String cheese
• Water
• Cheez-It® crackers
• Italian bread crumbs
• All-purpose flour
• Eggs
• Oil, for frying

See the recipe card for quantities.

Why Use Cheez-Its®

I cook with Cheez-Its® because I can! Not too long ago, I was stuck in my house and was delivered a care package full of goodies. Cheez-Its® was a part of that gift basket of treats, and I really enjoyed them.

That stuck with me. As I started to get hungry for cheese sticks, I wondered how this would work. I did try just Cheez-Its® as the breading.

They were good but adding a bit of Progresso Italian Breadcrumbs really sealed the deal for me. This recipe turned into a snack that I really enjoy.

Italian Breadcrumbs

I decided to add some Progresso Italian Breadcrumbs as the Cheez-Its® alone needed a bit of help. Italian is excellent, as it has an assortment of flavorings and herbs that put a nice finishing touch on these cheese sticks.

You can use other breadcrumbs or even omit them. I think my recommendation, however, provides the best flavor and consistency while giving a bit of that tasty Cheez-It® flavor.

🍲 Instructions

If you have ever dredged anything for frying, this should be a simple recipe. This recipe uses standard mozzarella string cheese that kids eat for snacks every day. After cutting them in half and placing them in water, we start the dredging process.

First, they go from the water into all-purpose flour and coat just so that everything is covered. From there, we give our cheese sticks a dunk in the egg.

After the egg, place them in the Cheez-It® coating previously put together. This is as simple as crushing a few cups of Cheez-Its® in a food processor (or cooking mallet). Combine with some Italian bread crumbs. That is all there is to the breading.

They are not ready for frying, as they must be frozen. It becomes a fryer full of a gooey mess if fried straight away. Place the prepared cheese sticks on a piece of parchment paper and put them in the freezer for at least two hours. They can be kept in the freezer until ready to cook.

When ready to cook, they go into hot oil raised to 375° Fahrenheit for about 1 ½ minutes. They should be golden brown when done. They also might be done a bit sooner, but you should be able to see and hear when they are done.

Serve them with your favorite marinara sauce or any sauce you like with cheese sticks. Marinara or tomato are great, but I love a bit of Ranch dressing on my cheese sticks.

Dredging Cheese Sticks

The purpose of dredging the cheese is to provide a way for the breading to stick to the cheese. Water allows the flour to stick to the cheese sticks. Flour allows the egg to stick better, and the eggs allow the breading to stick. In combination, they are all needed to make a great cheese stick.

Why Freeze Cheese Sticks Before Freezing

Cheese sticks melt when they are hot. It is that simple! They melt all over the place if you just add them to a deep fryer without freezing them

Giving them some time in the freezer will allow you to fry them. A chilled center allows for enough cooking to create a crumbly golden brown coating and a warm gooey middle.

When Are Cheese Sticks Done Frying?

They shouldn't take long, and my instructions indicate 1 ½ minute of cooking time at 375° Fahrenheit. That said, it is good to pay attention to the cheese sticks.

When done, they should be a nice golden brown. You might see the cheese start to leak out of the stick, which indicates that your cheese sticks are close to, if not done.

You also might hear cheese leak into the oil. This is another indicator that they are nearing done.

Keep an eye and ear on your cheese sticks. You don't want too much cheese to leak out. You don't want them to be burnt, either. About 1 ½ minutes should be enough to heat up appropriately at 375° Fahrenheit.

I spent many years as a line cook, so I have my fair share of experience cooking cheese sticks. The look and sound are a great indicator of when they are done. If you let them go too long, you will have a bit of a gooey mess. Still, it is fried cheese. Even if overdone, it is pretty challenging to get fried cheese wrong.

🤷 Substitutions and variations

There are a few ways that this can be changed up.

• Flavored Cheez-Its - While I have not made this with other flavors of Cheez-Its, I imagine you could do this with any product in the Cheez-Its family. 
• Oil - Use any oil that is appropriate for frying. 
• Breadcrumbs - Really any breadcrumb could be used, but I like the seasoned Italian ones.
• Dipping Sauce - Don't use any at all or use whatever you like!

📦 Storage

They can be refrigerated in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to several days or in the freezer for up to several months. These store really well in the freezer and then I just heat them up in the oven when ready to use. 

🎓 History Tidbit

You might be surprised to learn that cheese sticks have been around as early as the 1300s. They might not have been entirely in the same form, but apparently, the idea of fried cheese is a popular one. They appeared in a 1393 book called Le Ménagier de Paris, and this is a translation of the book and appears under the listing for Pipefarces.

Modern cheese sticks became more popular as string cheese took hold in the 1970s. Baker's cheese claims modern string cheese as something they invented. Although, if I know anything about food history, there might be someone out there who has their claim to 'first.'

Modern string cheese made our modern cheese sticks much more reachable and familiar to home cooks and bar snackers, alike. Today, cheese sticks are served all over and in major chains.

❓ FAQ

📝 Tips and tricks

• Always remember safety first and to check out the food safety instructions from the USDA.
• Use Mozzarella String Cheese and not fresh mozzarella or block mozzarella.
• Make sure to freeze for at least 2 hours before frying.
• You can bake these instead of frying, although they won't be quite as crispy. I would suggest 10 minutes at 400° Farhenheit and place them on parchment paper. 
• These are great for preparing beforehand. Once frozen, just place them in a freezer bag and cook when you are ready to try. 
• Canola oil, corn oil, peanut oil, and sunflower oil are all appropriate for this. Any oil that has a high smoke point and can be used for deep fat frying.
• I estimated both the amount of oil that is absorbed and how much of the breading actually ends up on the cheese sticks.

🛠 Products used in this recipe

• Thermometer for oil
• Pot for Frying
• Fry Ladle
• Parchment Paper
• Cheez-Its®

😋 Did you make this recipe?

That is awesome, and thank you so much for giving this Cheez-It® Fried Cheese Sticks recipe a try. If you could leave a rating in the comment area below, it would be greatly appreciated. This lets me know how I am doing and also helps others decide if they want to make this recipe. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.

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