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These baked mozzarella bites are better than the fried version and perfect to keep in the freezer for a snack anytime of the day.
The Utah Dairy Council has sponsored this post
You guys, I am a little embarrassed to tell you something. No judgments please. When I was growing up I had a few things that I would eat after school as a snack. Here goes… Mozzarella Sticks-the frozen ones from Costco, Bagel Bites (remember those?!), Pizza Rolls (seriously.), deviled eggs, and, ehem, croutons with ranch. Oh and don’t forget a drink, I’d fill a huge glass with ice, a little water and I’d eat the ice with a spoon. Yeah. That happened. These Baked Mozzarella Bites are at least a little healthier and I just know that kids everywhere would love them as an after school snack. That is, when you aren’t making this fried inside out pepperoni pizza. Plus, you can make a ton, freeze them, place them in a ziploc and pull out as many as you want to eat each day without any fuss.
You may remember our berry quinoa salad recipe or our heirloom tomato tart that we posted a few weeks ago. Both are seriously so easy, and both feature these marinated mozzarella balls that we found at Costco. Stinking Costco. We love that place. We seriously get so sucked in. You’d almost think that Costco would want to invite us for some private party or give us a complimentary account considering how much money we spend there. Anyway, this summer we discovered their tub of marinated mozzarella and we’ve been making all sorts of crazy delicious recipes with them ever since.
These baked mozzarella bites totally take me back in time to when I was a kid and I would walk home from school (which means I would hurry home because I always had to go to the bathroom when school got out. Haha, TMI? Too late.) with my awesome bungee bracelet with my house key dangling from the zipper. I would run to the kitchen and pull out a few mozzarella sticks for my mom to bake up for me. Then I would take my huge mug of ice and water (see the first paragraph) up to my room, lay on my bed and do my homework. Dude, I miss being a kid. And I miss that metabolism. And strangely, I miss homework. Truly. I miss learning and working hard on what I know. Oh, and SSR. Who know’s what that stands for?
Is Mozzarella Cheese Low Fat?
Commonly used types of cheese all contain similar amounts of saturated fat.
Mozzarella and feta are on the low end of the scale for saturated fat.
Is Spaghetti Sauce the Same As Marinara Sauce?
In the US, the terms “marinara sauce” and “spaghetti sauce” are used almost interchangeably.
They are both a tomato-based sauce used in Italian cooking.
Baked Mozzarella Bites
Baked Mozzarella Bites
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Mozzarella Balls, Marinated, found at Costco or the specialty cheese section of your store
- 2 1/2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
- Cooking spray
- Marinara Sauce, you can use your own or store bought
Instructions
- Roll each mozzarella ball in panko and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.2 Cups Mozzarella Balls, 2 1/2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
- Freeze for 2 hours or overnight. You can then either place the mozzarella in a ziploc or cook immediately.
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the mozzarella on a parchment lined baking sheet, spray the breadcrumbs liberally to help with browning and bake for 6-10 minutes or until lightly golden and gooey.Cooking spray
- Serve with warm marinara sauceMarinara Sauce
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These look super yummy! I was NEVER allowed to have bagel bites or those little pizza bite things. I totally did it up in college tho and they are delicious! I really love the idea of using the marinated mozzarella balls. They have such great flavor already!!
Wow – these look amazing!!! Love that delicious and warm cheese!
My friend and I used to microwave baked potatoes and then smother them in Ranch dressing after school…some how we were able to burn off all the calories!
These look delicious, I mean I would eat a bowl and so would my kiddos.
i LOVE those mozzarella balls at Costco – I put them on skewers with cherry tomatoes and basil, but I am definitely trying this recipe next time I pick some up…
I live for that picture of the gooey cheese
I loved bagel bites SO much – but you know what? These mozzarella bites blows them out of the water!
You’re so sweet. It’s hard to compete with bagel bites… or well not really but they sure were awesome as a kid!
I love Costco. There’s always something new that I have to buy. It’s a vicious cycle. These bites look wonderful.
True story, I ate all of those above things as after-school snacks, too, along with Bosco sticks, Doritos and/or Taco Bell. Meep! Now that I’m a little more careful about what I eat, 😉 these mozzarella bites would be a perfect snack!
Stephanie, I am embarrassed to ask, what the heck is a bosco stick?
Well, I have to say I don’t miss school one bit. I get enough of school helping my kids and letting them tell me I don’t know what I’m doing any more because they teach things so differently now! But these cheesy bombs of goodness…I definitely could be all over this!! Yum!!
psssst, I secretly hate helping with homework. I’d rather take over and do it all myself of throw it in the trash. haha
LOL! Your after school snacks sound similar to my brothers. Minus the eggs of course, they would never touch those!
These look awesome! I love melty, hot and gooey mozzarella!