I’ve never met a mozzarella stick I didn’t like. Whether they’re baked, deep-fried, homemade, or served with an array of other fried goodies – like onion rings and french fries – at a bar or restaurant, they’re all good.
If you’ve ever tried making your own mozzarella sticks at home, you may have ended up with a mess on your hands (literally). Dredging cheese sticks in egg and breadcrumbs can be quite messy (crummy even – hold the “b”). The Test Kitchen experimented making mozzarella sticks in wonton wrappers instead of the classic breadcrumb mixture and it worked wonderfully.
We made one mozzarella stick at a time, but recruit the kids to help speed up the process. Place the wonton wrapper diagonally on a cutting board. Arrange two pepperoni slices in the center of the wrapper (they will overlap slightly). Feel free to skip this step for a vegetarian option. Then sprinkle the pepperoni with Italian seasoning or pizza seasoning. Place one-third of a cheese stick on top of the pepperoni (cut your cheese sticks before you start wrapping so your assembly line runs a little smoother).
When your filling is assembled, moisten the edges of the wrapper with water. Bring the bottom point of the wrapper up and over the cheese stick. Fold in the sides, then roll. Finally, press the top point down to seal. It will look like a miniature cheese-filled envelope when you’re done (they’re pretty cute). Repeat the steps with the remaining ingredients.
Place the wontons in a single layer in the deep-fryer basket and carefully lower the basket into the oil (preheated to 375 degrees). Fry the wontons for about two minutes, until they bubble slightly and turn golden brown.
We served these little bites of heaven with marinara sauce – but pizza sauce or ranch dressing would be deliciously dunkable as well. The next time you’re hosting a birthday party for one of the kids, a gameday watch party, or just need a poppable appetizer recipe – make these wonton mozzarella sticks.
Have leftovers? Freeze the mozzarella sticks and reheat in the toaster oven the next time you need an quick after-school snack or appetizer.
- Heat deep fryer to 375°F.
- Working with one wonton wrapper at a time, place diagonally on a cutting board. Arrange 2 pepperoni slices, overlapping slightly, in center of wrapper. Place one-third of cheese stick on top of pepperoni. Sprinkle lightly with Italian or pizza seasoning.
- Moisten edge of wrapper with water. Bring bottom point of wrapper up and over the cheese stick. Fold in sides, then roll. Press top point down to seal. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Place wontons in a single layer in deep fryer basket and carefully lower basket into the preheated oil.
- Fry wontons until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve with marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.
Test Kitchen Tips: While working with wontons, keep them in the package to prevent them from drying out before rolling. The wonton cheese sticks can be made ahead. Store in airtight containers and refrigerate. The wrappers will be moist and take on a smooth texture, but will fry up just fine. Fried wontons can be frozen to reheat later. Store in the freezer. To reheat, heat toaster oven to 450°F. Arrange frozen wontons in a single layer in toaster oven pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until crispy.
TAGS: deep fryer, gameday, mozzarella cheese, mozzarella stick, pepperoni pizza, pizza roll, wonton
CATEGORIES: appetizers & snacks
