Cut your sticks into balls, dip in skim milk, and toss in the breading....
I actually don't know how long I baked them because I watched them the whole time thinking they were going to cheesily explode in the oven because how could the cheese not just melt instead of staying in between the teeniest layer of breading that I could barely see after I put them on the greased baking sheet? I would say 10 minutes or less....in the oven at 400 degrees. And here you go...food porn. My mouth is watering....just as it was when I was watching them cook. And I was not disappointed.
Don't mind the shadows in the pictures, they're irrelevant. I needed these pictures quickly so I could go nuzzle on the couch with my cheese. Nope, Main Man wasn't home. I got to have some quality cheese cuddling time all by my lonesone....don't tell :)
*EDIT* This recipe has been viewed quite a bit lately, and some people have had trouble with the cheese melting into puddles in the oven. Read the comments below for more tips, but here are a few for now:
Use fat free cheese sticks (they don't melt as easily).
Use a pizzazz.
Put the cheese balls in the freezer before baking so they won't melt.
Lower the temperature if you have a hot oven.
Use a pizza stone.
Use a convection oven.
Spray with cooking spray or olive oil.
I'm not sure I'm really proud of this, but this post has been featured on the Pinstrosity blog and on the Pintester blog...both are websites that test Pinterest failures and post their results. I am sorry so many people are having trouble with this recipe...I wish I could make some for you :) But I am glad to see that some of you are getting it to work and loving these little balls of love like I do!
Must. Make. These! Holy smokes they look amazing!!
ReplyDeleteNo words. I am a fried cheese freak and have been looking for a skinnier version for.ev.er. No more searching :)
ReplyDeleteI am going to make these right now! I've been having a craving and searching all over for an easy, more nutritious recipe.
ReplyDeleteYou couldnt find an easier one! Let me know how you like it :)
ReplyDeleteI just made these. I had 2% Mozzerella cheese so I put them in the freezer for about 30 min before I made them. I cut the cheese sticks into small bites, dipped them into skim milk and then Italian bread crumbs.... They didn't look like much when I put them onto my pizza stone, but I was hopefull that something great would happen in the baking process! Well 8 min later in a 425 degree oven and they were only slightly browned....not melted though. They really don't taste all that great. Did you use regular Italian bread crumbs? I had such high hopes for these:( Help!
Deletei used just basic string cheese, dipped it in half and half (i didn't have milk on hand) and then rolled in basic italian bread crumbs from a package! 9 minutes later the family devoured them! we dipped them in marinara and a little ranch dressing. so good!!
DeleteDefinitely need less than 10 minutes. At 8 minutes I went to check on them and they were a pile of melted cheese stuck to my pan. Still ate it of course...had to test it and they were yummy despite not being balls anymore.
ReplyDeleteLinked to my Pinterest and already have a ton of hits on it.
I agree with Simply Frugal. Didnt look cooked after 5 minutes. Took them out at 8 minutes and they were a pile of melted cheese. They were just ok. How'd you get yours to come out so nice?
DeleteI apologize for the confusion, I wasn't watching my clock the best as I stated...whoops!! I've done these since and usually just watch them until they're done since they take so little time...and yes, they're worth every single minute :)
ReplyDeleteas with some of the other baked cheese recipes on here...try freezing the cheese first , so they keep from melting before the outside gets crisp
ReplyDeleteWish I woulda seen this comment before we just made em! Oh well! Next time!
DeleteCame across this little recipe on Pinterest. Thanks, girl! I'm in looooove :)
ReplyDeleteFreezing the cheese first is a great idea, I will have to try that and report back!
ReplyDeleteYou sound just as excited as I did when I stumbled on this recipe, Ashley....enjoy!
I'm curious if your cheese sticks are fat free. Fat-free cheese doesn't melt well. I used part-skim cheese sticks and they were totally melted after 4 minutes. They were really tasty, but a little messy! :)
ReplyDeleteI did use fat free cheese sticks, so maybe that is why I didn't have the meltdown problem?
ReplyDeleteI made these, 425 for 5 min, took them out and they were mozzarella puddles :[
ReplyDeleteIs the breading, just regular can/jar of bread crumbs? I have italian bread crumbs.
ReplyDeleteamerican dern it
DeleteI used the Italian bread crumbs and they were great...but the regular ones should work too.
ReplyDeleteSamm...try using fat free cheese sticks or freezing the cheesesticks first so they don't melt!
yum...they look and sound so divine! Thank you so very much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI made them tonight and they were delicious! Mine flattened out, instead of "balls", but were still good.
ReplyDeleteMine did not work...flattened cheese patty :( so scraped off pan and put on triscuits with pepperoni and tasted good.
ReplyDeleteI made these tonight.... I think next time I will make an egg wash instead of just milk so that they brown better.... I cooked them on my Pizzaz and they stayed nice and round, no melting everywhere! plus I could keep a better eye on them that way!
ReplyDeleteOk, fairly new to cooking. What's a Pizzaz?
DeleteIt's a counter-top pizza cooker that rotates the pizza under the heat. Google it. It came up for me at Walmart. Kind of an open air Circular rotation toaster oven. Less direct concentrated heat. Easier on melting cheese balls. :)
DeleteYep, mine flatened out too! Guess I'll try the low fat or fat free cheese next time! I'm also going to try Shake 'n Bake next time instead of the bread crumbs.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried it with panko bread crumbs? Just curious to see if that would work. I usually love panko over regular bread crumbs!
ReplyDeleteI used panko bread crumbs. They tasted great but did melt into puddles. I didn't use fat free cheese or freeze it first. But the panko part tasted and worked great!
DeletePanko taste great-- but dont coat as well. I am trying a combo of both types of bread crumbs this time!!
Deletei tried the panko yesterday and i couldn't even get the breadcrumbs to stick so we gave up.
DeleteUes I tried the panko tonight. My cheese melted flat, but they were wonderfully tasty dipped in marinara. I use regular string cheese and will try fat free next time and will put them in the freezer and watch them as they cook
Deletecould you lower the tmp on the oven to 375 so they don't melt as fast?
ReplyDeleteCheese puddles :(
ReplyDeleteSounds like the people with cheese puddles need to try to use a pizzaz, use fat free cheese, or freeze your cheese before baking...those are the techniques that have seemed to work....
ReplyDeleteI've never tried Panko but I'm sure it would work just fine, as they are pretty much just larger bread crumbs...let me know how it turns out!
I made them this weekend and they melted and didnt get that brown. I have a Pizzaz, how did you make them on there?
DeleteAngela
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am eating mine now, yum! I only had panko crumbs here and mixed them with parm cheese. I put my cheese sticks in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Cooked them for 4 minutes..they came out really good.
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly what I did..they tasted great!
DeleteOh my ... I'll be trying these today, thinking my daughter will love them as a quick snack after her subbing job and her evening cashiering job tonight. Thanks for sharing ...
ReplyDeletegonna try to combine all the advice from above. freeze low-fat cheese, dip in a little egg and skim, roll in mix of crumbs and parm, bake at 375 for 5 mins keeping watch. wish luck :)
DeleteI followed all of the tips...and watched the cheese carefully, so I didn't have the melt problem, but no matter what I did I could hardly get any breading to stick to the cheese...anybody else have that problem?
Deletetry double dipping them. Egg/milk - breadcrumbs, then repeat. thicker coating and they are yummy.
DeleteI just made these. I froze the cheese (after cutting it), then used plain greek yogurt to dip the cheese and rolled it in bread crumbs with salt, oregano, parsley and a little pepper. Baked them at 425 for 10 min and they were perfect!
ReplyDeleteI just made these and my 6 year old loves them! I used the tips provided in the past comments and they turned out great! Next time I'll try them with Italian bread crumbs, but they are great with just plain breading.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear more people getting good results...these are one of my faves!! :)
ReplyDeleteAre you freezing before breading?
ReplyDeleteyes
DeleteDo you by any chance have the calorie count for these?
ReplyDeleteIt would depend on the type of cheese you use, I think...
DeleteSuch a great idea - although I had them in the oven fir all of 6 minutes at 350 and they melted into cheese puddles and the bread crumbs werent cooked :-( I'm going to try freezing them next time!
ReplyDeleteThanks!!!
I followed all of the tips...and watched the cheese carefully, so I didn't have the melt problem, but no matter what I did I could hardly get any breading to stick to the cheese...anybody else have that problem?
DeleteThese look abasolutely mouth watering! YUM!!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't try the extra tips to freeze, etc... so I'm going to call them cheese discs. They are good!! I used jalepeno cheese sticks!!
ReplyDeleteOh I bet jalepeno cheese was terrific! I might have to try that next time!
DeleteDelicious. I added parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs and used Fit & Active part-skim cheese sticks from Aldi. Baked for 10 min and they held their shape. I could have actually baked them a little longer with no problem.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear that you didn't have any problems, glad you liked them as well as I did!
DeleteMine turned out flat, maybe freezing would have helped. They still tasted delicious!
ReplyDeletei use cheese curds dipped in onion ring batter and deep fat fry them. i do freeze them so they melt slower. i'll have to try this because it would a little bit healther. lol.
ReplyDeleteYes, I used to fry mine too so I was glad these worked so well for me!
DeleteDid you add anything to the bread crumbs to crisp them up? I did just as directed, but my breadcrumbs were rather dry and didn't look crisp and oily as yours do in the photo. They look fried rather than baked.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree. The ones in the photo above look fried rather than baked. I just made and followed exactly and mine look nothing like this. Breadcrumbs ARE rather dry.
DeleteI thought these and the zucchini both turned out like they looked fried, but I did bake them both. I also didn't have any trouble with the breadcrumbs sticking or being dry, but someone else suggested if you did, that you could try an egg wash...maybe that would help? If you wanted to use an oil to crisp them up, I would suggest olive oil instead of the skim milk, maybe that would help? I've made these multiple times and I guess it's just a matter of the cheese sticks used to prevent melting, and maybe it's a matter of what bread crumbs are used too?? Sorry you had troubles!
DeleteI read the recipe and immediately went and made them. Theya are fantastic! Thank you so much for posting it. I can't wait to make them again.
DeleteThat's great to hear, Joy!
DeleteMade these tonight with Frigo part-skim string cheese (cut in half), skim milk, and Italian bread crumbs. Baked at 425 on my well-seasoned Pampered Chef pizza stone. I checked them every few minutes after reading everyone's comments, but mine never turned into puddles! Cooked them for a full 10 minutes and they kept their shape completely. Not sure why this is. Maybe it is the stone? Everyone loved them, even though they were all very skeptical at first, and my 10 year old made a second batch after dinner all by herself. Now that is an easy recipe! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThat's great to hear! I do wonder if your pizza stone helped, and you made me think if the fact that I use a convection oven helped the cheese to stay intact too?! Thanks for the positive feedback, glad you enjoyed them as much as I did! :)
DeleteI think the cheese definitely makes a difference. I also used the Frigo part-skim cheese and was very paranoid about them exploding but mine never did either. There were very tasty.
DeleteCooked these after seeing it on Pinterest. I baked them at 425 for only about 7-8 minutes and they never became a puddle. I probably should have even cooked them longer. They tasted great. I may now buy a thermometer for my oven though to make sure it's heating up to the correct temperature ;)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had the same luck I did...I'm glad they worked for you! :)
DeleteI used part-skim string cheese stick (got 7 pieces from 1 stick), stuck cut pieces in freezer for 10-15 min, used 2% milk, regular bread crumbs w/ italian seasoning and a little shredded parm added. Baked at 400 (convect mode) for 6 min on an ungreased baking stone - came out perfect - were still balls. Tasted good! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed them! :)
DeleteI also found this recipe on Pinterest and it was so good. Thank you! I froze the cheese beforehand, and I also turned the oven down a bit from 425. A few of them became puddles, but for the most part they turned out great. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's great to hear! Glad you liked them!
DeleteHmmm, I am thinking that if you get a bagette at the store, cut it in to 1/2 inch slices .. use the full fat or 2% cheese sticks, skim milk, bread crumbs and then put one on each slice of bagette in the oven! Nice, toasty crunchy cheesy bread! I'm a caterer and I'm always looking for yummy delicious easy apps for parties where they want in expensive but very appealing apps. This sounds perfect!
ReplyDeleteyummy!!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMade these. I wanted them to be good ... but they just weren't. Looked nothing like the picture (are those ones fried?!). Not a good recipe, in my opinion. But, I wished so bad that it was. :D
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that. I know some people have had issues but the majority seem to have gotten them to work like I did (the ones in the photo are not fried)...maybe give them another try after reading all the suggestions in the comments?
DeleteI tried to make these but they exploded after 4 minutes. LOL
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that! Read through the comments section for tips on what cheese works best and maybe turn your oven temp down a little? They're great when they work :)
DeleteThese are amazing!!! I just made them for my family and they all loved them...will try the freezing trick and fat free next time to hold their shape better, but they were still very yummy!!! Glad that they are better for ya than fried cheese balls! Thanks so much for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteThat's great to hear!
DeleteWhat are the calories for something like this?
ReplyDeleteIt would depend what kind of cheese you use, since there's no oil or anything added it wouldnt be much more than what the cheese contains!
DeleteTHANK YOU for this fantastic idea & recipe!! My family loves anything cheese-related (especially if it somewhat resembles the unmatched goodness of WI Cheese Curds!!) I used reduced-fat cheese and made the breading by smashing up Ritz crackers and adding a hint of garlic salt & pepper.. froze the cheese for 15minutes before baking and turned the oven down to 385. The breading didn't stick the best but WOW is all I can say... next time I will have to make WAY more because by the time the kids were done demolishing them I barely got to taste them :) THANKS!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you loved them as much as we did!
DeleteI just tried that exact recipe.. they turned to discs super quick without the bread crumbs browning so now Im trying again with an egg wash and a lower temp. WISH ME LUCK!
ReplyDeleteLUCK!! :)
DeleteI tried this recipe x 2 and it really does depend on the type of cheese you use. I used 2 different brands of cheese, both low-fat. The first brand (Kraft) turned into discs (tasty, but discs!). The second brand was by Wal-Mart and they baked into a perfectly round, crispy cheese ball. My husband loves them so much I had to show him how to make them himself to keep him from bugging me to make them all the time!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this recipe!
Interesting! I wonder why certain cheeses work better than others...that explains why some people are having issues though! Glad they worked for you :)
DeleteI was worried about the cheese puddle problem, so I just put each little piece of cheese in a spot in my mini muffin tin and sprayed a little olive oil on the tops of each. They did melt some, but they were still in small little saucers when they came out instead of puddles. Still very easy to dip and very tasty!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea!
DeleteMine turned into puddles too, but I didn't put them in the freezer this time..I followed your recipe on 1/2 of them and tried them with egg to try to hold the breadcrumbs on them better... Neither worked... But I'm not giving up... I'm be trying them again soon.. Thanks for sharing the recipe...
ReplyDeleteI just made and these,I froze the cheese for a few minutes before, did milk and egg wash and put them in at 375 for about 5 minutes, they didn't melt and the cheese was gooey inside, but they never really crisped up or got golden brown, still tasty tho!
ReplyDeleteI am SO going to get some cheese sticks at the store tonight after work to try these. For poor Anon who keeps having all the trouble, I've had good luck with other foods (chicken strips, etc.) oven baked by quickly spraying some olive oil cooking spray over them. I mean really quickly just getting a mist of oil on them. I would also check your oven temp just to make sure. I hope you have success soon! :-)
ReplyDeleteI just made these for my daughter for lunch, they turned out great!! I did freeze them first like other posters recommended, I think that did the trick!
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming up with a recipe like this, I've been trying to come up with healthy treat ideas for my 2 year old (stuff she'll actually like to eat!). Plus, I snacked on a bowl of them myself! :)
Great to hear! Glad you enjoyed them :)
DeleteLove this recipe..love your blog name. I am a new follower. Patsy
ReplyDeleteAlways glad to pick up a new follower, Patsy! Thanks for the kind words :)
DeleteI used fat free cheese, did the egg thing, even froze the cheese beforehand and also lowered the oven temp to keep them from becoming flat... none of these helped. There is no way you got them that brown in less them 10 mins..
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what to suggest except to keep trying, it sounds like a lot of others are finding success by using different cheeses if you want to experiment with that?
DeleteThe kids I nanny for LOVE these. Thanks for posting this! They are so easy and a quick great snack for us!
ReplyDeleteThat's great to hear!
DeleteYour name reminds me of something my mom said just a few days ago. I had just recieved the Weeknights with Giada cookbook, and my mom was like "If she's a cook why is she so skinny" I almost peed myself by laughing so hard! These look so good, but I don't think the cheese will last. I love string cheese and could eat it all day, so I'm sure none will be left by the time it's ready to make!
ReplyDeleteI have that cookbook! I want to try so many things out of there...glad you like the name of the blog :)
DeleteFor everyone suggesting that yours must be fried because the coating is golden I was under the impression that you used your leftover coating that had some parm cheese in it...? The cheese would prob give off a lil oil which would help crisp up the bread crumbs. And maybe even the mozz sticks you use release just enough to crisp up your coating. People really shouldn't accuse and try different things, a recipe is just a starting point for others to leap from!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's neat so many people are reading my blog, and I hate that some are having trouble with the recipe, but I can only write what I did myself. Yes, I did use the leftover coating from my baked zucchini so maybe that was it. Thanks for the kind words :)
DeleteIf you freeze the cheese before coating, they won't spread so bad!!! These are yummy!!!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed them as much as we did!
Deletefreeze the cheese and drizzle with olive oil before you bake them. my husband won't stop talking about these :)
ReplyDeleteSounds a lot like my fiance! lol
DeleteI cut the string cheese and put it in the freezer while the oven preheated. Then took them out, dipped them and baked. It took right at 8-10 minutes. They turned out just right, and sooo good. Next time I might try spritzing them with some olive oil.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it! I absolutely love them :)
DeleteWhat if I use whole milk? WIll that work? That's all I have in the fridge and really want to make these...NOW!!! lol :)
ReplyDeleteI would assume whole milk would work just fine!
DeleteI made these with no fat cheese sticks, mozzarella and cheddar. They are very good, they just melt VERY quickly. Keep an eye on them!
ReplyDeleteOH MY!!! THANKS A LOT! Now I have to get dressed & run to the store......my mouth is watering!!! ;-)
ReplyDeleteWould this also work with cheddar cheese bites? And what was the batter you used?
ReplyDeleteI would assume it should work with cheddar cheese bites too. The breading I used was this:
Delete1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese (I used the reduced fat not fresh kinda I had in the fridge and it worked just fine)
1 t seasoned salt (I used Lawry's)
1 t garlic powder
They are a hit for my kids! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJessica
www.mominminnesota.blogspot.com
Glad to hear it! I checked out your blog and am now following :)
DeleteFound this recipe on pinterest and luckily I had all the ingredients to make them right away! I put mine in the freezer while the oven was preheating and used a convection oven. I had them in for 5 minutes and had no problem with them melting into a puddle but I wish the bread crumbs would have browned a little more. Thank you so much for this recipe, I'll definitely be making these again!! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's great! I make them quite a bit myself :)
DeleteI just made these and didn't have bread crumbs so I crushed up some Italian croutons. I used the Fit & Active light string cheese from Aldi and it worked great. I sprayed my pan with a little Pam and baked them for less than 5 minutes. THEY WERE AWESOME AND SO CRISPY! I took them out as soon as I saw they were starting to melt. I can't wait to make some for the rest of the family.
ReplyDeleteAWESOME! I wish everyone's would turn out like yours and mine did! Enjoy :)
DeleteI just made these tonight.. turned temp down to 400 and baked for 7 minutes. Also put cheese in freezer cut up first for about 15 minutes. They were perfect!! Thanks for the great idea :)
ReplyDeleteThat's great!
DeleteI am SOOOO gonna have to try this!!! would it be okay if you used 2% milk?
ReplyDeleteI would think 2% would be just fine...
Deleteokay well i thought so too so i went ahead and tryed it...MOST of them stayed in the ball shape! but i had a hard time getting them coated with the crumbs; they didn't want to stick. did you toast your crumbs first? my dad said it was because i didn't toast them first, that they were really crumbly and didn't taste that great
DeleteI just finished eating mine. I did the freezer thing. I think a key to not having puddles is the kind of cheese you use. If you feel the string cheese some brands are softer than others. If you get the harder versions they are less likely to melt as they have a lower moisture content.Also I used my favorite croutons (crushed) because I do not usually keep bread crumbs around. I also just dipped them in plain egg which helped the bread crumbs stick better and I think also helps to create a seal to prevent the cheese from melting into puddles.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Sounds like experimentation with the brand of cheese is the way to go from what people are saying...
DeleteTried this with the egg wash and freezing them, but they still melted all over the pan. I scraped it up, chopped the melted cheese goo into rough quarters, and plopped them on some breaded chicken patties with marinara sauce. Instant pizzas! The fiance was quite happy. My sticks weren't fat-free, so I plan to try this again with FF sticks.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea if you do end up getting the puddles! Keep trying with different cheese, though....it sounds like the brand of cheese matters if they melt into a pile or not! Good luck :)
DeleteI dipped some in rice milk and gluten free crumbs and baked them for 10 min. and they did not change shape and were good. The crumbs were barely brown though and probably could have baked longer.
ReplyDeleteThen I made some dipped in french vanilla lactose free yogurt and gluten free crumbs and they were good too only sweet. After they cooled they were just okay.
Sounds great and even healthier!
DeleteMine were so yummy. They did melt into cheese puddles but no big deal, I had cut the cheese sticks only in half, so I rolled them up and we ate them that way. Cheese roll-ups. Yum yum.
ReplyDeleteI just tried this recipe. I had a little trouble with them melting down and the panko I used didn't turn golden brown but they were still crispy and delicious. I am definitely going to try these again! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete"Food Porn" HAHA!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely trying these :)
Many thanks
No problem, hope you enjoy!
DeleteI followed the recipe and mine ended up a big melted greasy mess...Wish i would've read all the comments first and foremost before following the recipe...maybe you should edit your blog to accomodate.
ReplyDeleteI did edit the post quite a while ago telling people to read the comments and giving some tips on how to prevent the cheese puddles, sorry you didn't see it! Hope you try it again, it sounds as if people continue to have success depenging mainly on the brand of cheese.
DeleteI am making them tonight with another recipe I found for pizza quesadillas on Pinterest. I am sooooo excited. These look amazing!
ReplyDeleteI found this recipe on Pinterest and I was SOLD! Then, when I started reading the comments, I was hesitant that I too would end up with cheese puddles. Well, I'm happy to report that I got PERFECT BAKED CHEESE-BALLS!
ReplyDeleteHere's what I did: I used Target brand Low-fat Mozzarella sticks, stuck them in the freezer 30 minutes before I prepared them. I used Lactaid 1% milk then regular bread crumbs. I popped them in my toaster oven at about 375 for 10 minutes and they were perfect! I watched them every second to make sure they wouldn't melt, and they didn't! Hopefully others will have success because these are worth the trial and error!
I repinned this a while ago on Pinterest and finally got the chance to try tonight. I used panko and baked at 400 with fan in toaster oven. I just caught them as they were starting to melt. About 8 mins. I would do them again. Thanks! It's a great way to use up leftover cheese sticks from camping.
ReplyDeleteYum, these look so delicious! I found this recipe on Pinterest and would love to invite you to share this, and any other posts, at my Creative Thursday Link Party (open through Monday each week) at http://www.michellestastycreations.blogspot.com. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteMichelle
I made a small test batch yesterday. I'm making them again tonight. :-) They are so good! I'll never order regular cheese sticks again.
ReplyDeleteI see you recommend fat free cheese sticks, but I've never seen those before, and haven't even been able to find a brand to search for when googling it. I can only find low fat. Who makes fat free cheese sticks? And where can you buy them at?
ReplyDeleteThere usually isn't fat free that you can find, but i used low fat and they turned out great!
DeleteFound on pinterest and had to try them. Sad to report I too had cheese disks, lol, still good though. I will try again by freezing first and using egg instead of milk.
ReplyDeleteThese turned out great! I froze the string cheese since I didn't have fat free cheese and I covered them with the milk and bread crumbs just like the directions. I baked them at 425 for 5 minutes (they could have gone a minute more). They were still in balls and soft and the kids ate them faster than I could get them on the plate!
ReplyDeleteYep, these were a Pinterest fail... Even with freezing and low fat cheese.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that, from the sounds of it the Fit and Active cheese and the Target brand cheese works the best!
DeleteYummo! I want to try freezing cheese first. We used plain bread crumbs, lowfat cheese sticks (from Aldi), and I added a little garlic (cuz I'm crazy like that). And they tasted great, but just didn't look great! My hubs & I loved them! We're gonna try a few new things: italian breadcrumbs, freezing, possible small amount of egg with milk...these were GREAT! (Thanks SOOOO much for sharing!)
ReplyDeleteThat's great to hear! I'm glad you had the same success I did :)
DeleteI am going to give this recipe a whirl, but am going to toast the bread crumbs separately in the oven and then use them as a coating for the cheese. I am very excited to try this recipe and use all of the suggestions posted here.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck! That's a great idea to toast the breadcrumsb, let me know how it works!
Deletetried a few different attempts and they melted every time very sad :(
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, it seems that the brand of cheese might be the determining factor...maybe try another kind?
DeleteOh my these were delicious! I used fat free string cheese and 2% milk. I didn't freeze before hand, but i did set the temp to 400 degrees. Then i baked them in the oven for 5 mins. Took them out,and set them in the broiler for 2 mins. They looked nearly the same as in the picture and were delicious!!(:
ReplyDeleteThat's great to hear!
DeleteWhoops! I lied up there, they were "light" cheese heads string cheese. I also used 1% milk.
ReplyDeleteUsed regular string cheese, froze my cheese, used 2%. Baked for 8 min. Turned out perfect, and yummy!
ReplyDeleteI made these today and they were delicious! I froze the cheese balls for about 15 min, used a milk/egg wash, and baked them at 400 for 6 minutes. They were still ball-shaped and the breading was crispy (although not as brown as in your pics). May try spraying them with cooking spray the next time to make them look a little darker.
ReplyDeleteJust tried these. Turned out great. Kids love them, I love them. We dipped them in milk before the bread crumbs and put them in freezer while waiting for the oven to heat up (probably 15 min total in freezer). Baked them at 375 degrees in convection for 10 min. They arent as brown and appealing as pics above. the only thing I would do differently next time is use an egg instead of milk. Yummy recipe and so fun for the kids to take part of :p
ReplyDeleteJust made these... If I were a giant it would be perfect to have a cookie sheet size cheese stick, but I am not. I froze them for 20 minutes before preparing too... dunno what went wrong
ReplyDeleteJust made these for my husband and I... used part-skim cheese sticks dipped in 1% milk and ground croutons on a pizza stone - melted a bit, but were still pretty tasty! Thanks for the recipe :)
ReplyDeleteBest recipe I've discovered via Pinterest yet! Such a quick and easy snack to make-- and just delicious!! Love these with Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marinara!
ReplyDeleteI will have to try Trader Joe's Marinara...I love that store! We just got a Whole Foods recently so I'm pretty stoked about that as well!
DeleteFroze them and they STILL came out to a big melted mess of RAW breadcrumbs and a puddle of cheese... I just don't get it. Deleting the recipe and UN-LIKING!
ReplyDeleteYuck. Very time consuming, and just... not good.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to stop by and say we loved this post/idea. We tried it out and had so much fun we just had to share it with our readers too (giving you a link back of course)!
ReplyDeletehttp://excited2learn.com/blog/summer-fun-cooking-with-kids-ideas/
That's great! Thanks so much for the mention!
DeleteDefinitely don't cook this at 425 degrees. Mine exploded. I would say 325.
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ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this recipe!!!! Made this today. I used a convection oven and low fat frozen mozzarella cheese sticks - Sargento. I mixed a tablespoon of fat free greek yogurt and a tablespoon one percent milk. Dipped them in that before the bread crumbs. Had no problem with the breading sticking. Ended up with puddles in less than 5 minutes, but they were still delicious :) Will try a different brand of cheese next time and see if that helps them retain their form. Also will add the parmesan to the breading. I think that may be why your cheese balls are so beautifully browned. I do wish people would stop complaining and appreciate the fact that you took the time to post this...Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, and thanks for your kind words and especially for sharing your modifications! I love greek yogurt and think that would be excellent!
DeleteCheese balls? = cheese puddles
ReplyDeleteLike many others mine were a bit melty. I just used a rubber scraper to push the cheese back together and my kids and I devoured them with a little spaghetti sauce for dipping. Yum! They asked for me to do them again soon.
ReplyDeleteGreat! It's always fun to have kids in the kitchen :)
DeleteNot very tasty, and did not look like the picture. Sorry, but this recipe is kind of a dud.
ReplyDeleteSorry you had troubles...
DeleteMIne turned out great :) I didn't freeze the cheese or anything like that. I did add a little seasoning to plain whole wheat bread crumbs, and then sprayed a little pam on top of them before putting into the oven. My 10 year old is nodding and smiling in agreement. Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear! Glad you enjoy them like we do :)
DeleteI've made these a few times and they have turned out great. I noticed that they brown much better when I use a metal pan vs. a glass dish. I turn the oven up to 425 and put the rack on the lowest level possible in the oven, leave them in for a few min. until the bottoms are brown and then turn them over until they brown again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips...I never realized using glass helps, I always use a glass dish!
DeleteI am going to try this tonight as a movie treat. I bought Frigo string cheese sticks that are low fat and half mozzarella and half cheddar cheese. I am freezing them as suggested. I am using italian bread crumbs with parmeasan cheese in it and also the milk to dip them into before breading. I am going to try baking them in my glass lasagna baking dish. I can't wait to try them!! Thanks
ReplyDeleteWhat kinda breading did you use?
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try freezing them next time. Mine were puddles, but they still taste good. I used Progesso Italian bread crumbs, dipped in 2% milk. Sargento part skim string cheese. Was what I had in the house. Will try again freezing.
ReplyDeleteBest blobs of melted cheese I ever ate! Although, would be cooler if they looked like yours! LOL
ReplyDeleteAhhhh These are amazing. I froze my cheese cubes for 30min ahead of time. I breaded with progresso italian bread crumbs. I baked for 6min at 425 then put under broiler for 3min. They turned out okay. Only did a 1/2 batch so that I could perfect them. =)
ReplyDeleteSo, I tried another batch. This time,(because I didn't think the breading was sufficient- just personal taste) I double breaded the cheese balls (dip in milk, coat in breadcrumbs then let them sit for about a minute and then repeat the milk and breadcrumbs step). Baked at 425 for 6 minutes and then under the broiler at 500 for 3 minutes. Badabing! Perfect. Hope this is helpful.
ReplyDeleteI just made these and they were great! I used the Frigo Cheeseheads "Light" string cheese. I used plain bread crumbs. 10 minutes at 4:25 on my pizza stone.
ReplyDeletecan you make this with fresh mozzarella? instead of cheesesticks?
ReplyDeleteYou could try but I'm betting fresh mozz would melt even quicker than string cheese so you may get the flattened version that some people are talking about...
DeleteJust made these and they turned out great! I froze the cheese after cutting,but used a more traditional breading (flour then milk/egg combo then Italian breadcrumbs)and they turned out FANTASTIC! I also added salt/pepper and garlic powder to every stage of the breading and the sticks had great flavor!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear!
DeleteI cut mine into fours and added a little corn starch to the milk so to hold the bread crumbs better. I spritzed them with olive oil then I baked them in my NuWave oven 4inch rack for 2 minutes then turned them over for another minute! Walla! Not as crunchy as deep fried but there are none left!! Yummo! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm doing the low-carb thing, I froze the cheese, dipped them in half 'n half, rolled them (actually smushed them) in crushed pork skins, and baked for 8 minutes on a cookie sheet sprayed liberally with cooking spray. They came out flat...but yummy!
ReplyDeleteThese look delish...will be sharing with my fans! Thanks for the recipe!
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