Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Baked Mozzarella Sticks in Fillo Dough

• 8 part-skim mozzarella sticks (string cheese style), frozen

• 8 sheets fillo dough, thawed

• olive oil spray

• garlic powder, dried oregano and cayenne pepper (or other seasoning as desired)

• marinara sauce, for dipping

Note: Before assembling and baking these, you must freeze the mozzarella for two hours. This will prevent it from melting in the oven before the fillo has a chance to brown.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.

Lay a single sheet of fillo on a cutting board and cover the remaining fillo sheets with a towel so they don't dry out. Fold the sheet in half, from one short side to the other; you will now have a long piece of fillo that is the same width as the length of the cheese.

Spray the fillo lightly with olive oil spray, then sprinkle with garlic powder, oregano and cayenne, or any other seasoning you'd like to use. Place a frozen mozzarella stick at one end of the fillo and roll it up. Spray the outside of the roll with a little more olive oil spray and place seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fillo sheets and mozzarella sticks.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes, until the fillo is a very pale golden brown and you can see the mozzarella just starting to ooze out the ends. Turn the broiler on and broil for 2-3 minutes to finish browning the fillo.

Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.

Yields 8 mozzarella sticks.

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen