Keto fried mozzarella sticks

Set up three dishes or pans to bread the cheese. Cake pans and storage containers work well for this. They should be large enough to hold one piece of cheese, but small enough to keep the coatings from spreading out too far.

Place one serving of the Chicken Soup Keto Chow in one dish.

Fill a second dish with the beaten egg, almond milk, and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt. Stir it together well.

Stir together the remaining serving of Keto Chow, the almond flour, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in the third dish.

Line a rimmed baking sheet that will fit in the freezer with parchment paper or tin foil.

Start breading the cheese sticks by placing one at a time in the plain Keto Chow, rolling to coat completely. Gently shake off extra Keto Chow and place the cheese in the egg wash; roll it with tongs or two forks until it is completely coated. Gently lift from the egg wash and allow any excess egg wash to drain off, back into the dish.

Place the cheese stick into the “crumb” dish, using a dry hand to roll it so it is completely coated in crumbs. Pat the coating lightly to be sure it sticks to the entire surface of the cheese. Carefully transfer to the prepared tray.

Continue with the rest of the cheese until all 12 are completely coated.

Start the second coating process. (Discard or set aside the plain Keto Chow—it isn’t needed for the second coating.) Dip each coated cheese stick in the egg wash and gently shake it or roll it to coat it completely. Then place in the crumb coat and do the same. Place it back on the lined tray.

Continue with the remaining cheese sticks, until they are all well-coated.

Place the tray in the freezer for at least one hour to allow the breading to set and chill the cheese so it will hold its shape when fried.

Place a Dutch oven or deep, heavy pot over medium heat and add at least three inches of your frying oil.** The oil should be deep enough to completely submerge the cheese while frying. Gently heat the oil to 375℉. When the oil is ready, bubbles will rise quickly from the handle of a wooden spoon inserted in the oil.

Once the oil is at temperature, carefully lower a cheese stick into the oil with tongs or a metal slotted spoon. Use the tongs or spoon to gently place the cheese into the oil. Do NOT drop it from above the surface, as that can result in burns from splashing oil. Be mindful not to overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, three to four cheese sticks is likely the most you will want to fry at once. Check the temperature of the oil as you add the cheese. If it drops below 250℉ there are too many cheese sticks in the oil at once.

Cook the cheese for 3-4 minutes. When ready, the coating will be golden brown and you may hear the noise of the oil change as moisture is released. You may see pin pricks of cheese breaking through the coating. That is fine, but means they are ready to come out of the oil.

Carefully lift them out with a metal slotted spoon or spider strainer. Transfer them to a tray lined with brown paper or a cooling rack over a tray. Continue frying cheese sticks until they are all cooked.

You can place the tray of fried cheese sticks in a 300℉ degree oven while you finish the rest to keep them warm if you like.

Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce or cool ranch dressing for dipping.