Nickel City Cheese Sticks Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain and toss with a little butter or olive oil to keep from sticking.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to create a roux. Cook for a minute or so, whisking frequently, until mixture looks like wet sand. Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly, until roux is incorporated. Whisk in Dijon. Add mozzarella, 16 ounces pepper jack and all but 4 ounces Parmesan. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is smooth and all the cheese has melted, the sauce is thick and you are able to draw a line through it on the back of a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Add Spice Mix and hot sauce and stir again to make sure seasoning is evenly distributed.
• Combine the drained pasta with the cheese sauce in a large bowl, mixing well. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining 8 ounces pepper jack cheese and the Roasted Tomato quarters. Finish topping with the remaining 4 ounces Parmesan and Buttered Breadcrumbs. Bake until the top is bubbly and browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place salt, cayenne, chile powders, cumin and turmeric in a food processor and grind until well blended. Store in a sealed container.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place diced bread cubes in a bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan and add parsley and garlic, stirring until garlic cooks slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour mixture over diced bread cubes and toss until blended. Place mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool. Place in a large plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin until mixture is crumbly.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Toss cut tomatoes in a large bowl along with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and thyme. Place tomatoes cut-side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast until the tomato skins are blistered and wrinkled, 10 to 15 minutes. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove skins and set aside.

Steps:

• Remove string cheese sticks from plastic wrappings and cut the strings in half crosswise.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place eggs in a bowl and bread crumbs into a large shallow bowl.
• Dip cheese stick halves into egg and roll in bread crumbs to completely coat the sticks; place breaded cheese sticks onto the prepared baking sheet. Allow cheese sticks to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes to set, and repeat dipping in egg and bread crumbs to form a thick coating. Freeze breaded cheese sticks for at least 2 hours.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Deep fry cheese sticks, a few at a time, until the coating is golden brown and crisp and the cheese is soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Let sticks drain on paper towels; cool slightly and serve warm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Place a sheet of frozen puff pastry dough onto a floured work surface and allow dough to thaw just until it can be unfolded. Unfold dough into a flat sheet; brush top of puff pastry dough with olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
• Sprinkle white Cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese onto the dough, covering the surface. Top with a piece of plastic wrap; press cheese and seasonings firmly into the dough with your fingers or by laying a sheet pan onto the dough over the plastic and pressing it down.
• Remove plastic and use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough down the seam lines into thirds; cut each third lengthwise into thirds for a total of 9 breadsticks.
• Pick up a dough strip, place it seasoned side down on the work surface, and twist from both ends 8 or 9 times to make a rolled tube of dough with the seasoned side out. Place breadsticks onto prepared baking sheet.
• Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the sticks. Roll the sticks lightly to even up their shapes and pick up and press any dropped cheese onto the surfaces.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes; flip and continue baking until breadsticks are browned and crisp, 10 to 20 more minutes. If you pick up a stick by one end and it droops, bake for several more minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat cheese spread, butter and egg white until fluffy. Cut crust from bread. Slice bread 1 in. thick; cut each slice into 1-in. strips. Spread the cheese mixture on all sides of each strip and place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Unbaked cheese sticks may be frozen for up to 4 months. Bake as directed (they do not need to be thawed first).

Steps:

• Place cheese sticks on tray; freeze at least 1 hour.
• Heat 2 inches of oil to 375°F in large heavy saucapan or follow manufacturer's direction on deep fryer. Beat Bisquick mix, paprika, milk and egg until smooth. Dip cheese, 1 stick at a time, into batter, covering cheese completely.
• Fry 8 to 10 sticks at a time 1 to 2 minutes, turning carefully, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with marinara sauce.