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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.
Mouth watering!! I love this, what could be more perfect than baked mozzarella
I am so completely in love with this recipe. That one pic with the cheese being stretched is magnificent.
These look amazing!! Hope you find time for some Sustained Silent Reading! 🙂
Leave it to a teacher to know what you meant! 🙂
Wowza! This looks so yummy!!! I have to make it this week
And it stands for Silent …something… reading. Almost remembered it! 🙂
Your after-school snacks weren’t too bad. My daughter (who’s now a grandmother) would pour breadcrumbs in a coffee mug & soak them in vinegar and eat that!! She also liked drinking pickle juice and eating lemons. Needless to say, she destroyed her tooth enamel.
Oh my gosh, croutons with ranch!!! Me too! And these bites – gooey cheese will always get me 🙂
Stop! Did you really?! hahahahaha! That’s awesome!
These look absolutely delicious! I totally forgot about Bagel Bites until I read this. I would always burn my mouth on them!
haha, me too!
Oops, accidentally posted twice. You can delete one 🙂
Ha! You are too funny! Your after school snacks sound like what I wanted to eat, but I don’t know if we were too poor or what. It was always a treat to get pizza bites! I also love mozzarella sticks. I love that these are at least a little bit healthier since they are baked. I’ve wanted to try baked but have been too afraid. So thanks for sharing your bites so I can try them out. YUM!!
Oh my gosh, you are too funny! I love your after school snacks. Those are always the snacks I wanted, but my mom would usually make me eat something healthier, graham crackers, fruit or veggies with ranch. I love mozzarella sticks so much but have been afraid to try them baked, even though I want a healthier version. These bites look so good, and a little healthy too? I’m in! Can’t wait to try these!