Mozzarella Snackers

This ooey gooey classic is getting a twist using wholesome WIC ingredients! Parents with cheese-loving kids can feel good about this calcium-filled snack with added whole grains. Using your oven instead of frying can also make this kid friendly, healthy and easy to clean up. Serve with your kid’s favorite dipping sauce and some veggies for a fun finger food snack!

This recipe includes kid friendly steps, so you can encourage your little ones to help! Make sure all helpers wash their hands before helping in the kitchen.

Ingredients

4 cheese sticks (cut in half - see note below)

1 egg (beaten)

1⁄2 cup all purpose flour (or whole wheat flour, optional - see note below)

3⁄4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (see note below)

cooking spray

Yield amount

4 servings

Preparation time

25 minutes

Cooking time

10 minutes

Total time

35 minutes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (if you have an air fryer, see the note below). While the oven preheats, set up a dredging station with 4 separate bowls in a row: the cheese sticks in the first, the flour in the second, the beaten egg in the third, and the breadcrumbs in the fourth bowl.
Coat each side of the cheese sticks one at a time in the flour, then move to the beaten egg, followed by coating them in breadcrumbs. This process can be messy, but is fun for kids to help with!
Place the coated cheese sticks on a baking tray coated with cooking spray. Place them in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Place the cheese sticks in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Notes:

If you don’t have cheese sticks, you can also cut block cheese into sticks or cubes.

You can use whatever flour you have available, but if you don’t have flour, you can skip this step and just use breadcrumbs.

Make your own whole wheat breadcrumbs by placing whole wheat bread in a 250°F oven for 20 minutes. This will dry out the bread so you can crumble it. The crumbs will keep in your pantry for up to 1 month.

Have an air fryer? Cook the coated cheese sticks at 350°F for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Notes

Equipment you’ll need:

Knife
Cutting board
Measuring cups
4 bowls
Baking tray