Oven-Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Ingredients:

• olive oil cooking spray
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 2 tsp ground oregano, divided
• 3 slices whole wheat bread, torn
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 8 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 finger-like strips
• 2 tbsp honey mustard

Makes 4 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce and 1 teaspoon of oregano; set pan over low heat and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine bread, remaining teaspoon of oregano and thyme; process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Place crumbs in a shallow bowl. (Tip: Use the ends of the loaf of bread for the bread crumbs since those slices are often uneaten.)
4. Coat cheese sticks with honey mustard. Transfer cheese to bread crumb mixture and turn to coat. Arrange cheese on prepared baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray.
5. Bake until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with warmed tomato sauce on the side. 

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts (2 cheese sticks and about 1/4 cup of sauce per serving)

 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. This is what I like to think as bar food but also comfort food. Who doesn't love Italian food and who does not love mozzarella sticks? Normally, mozzarella sticks are deep fried and high in fat. These guilty plaesures are quick and easy and are baked. I highly recommend serving these as appetizers before your main course or even as a snack when you're watching TV. These treats are like pizza without the bread crust.