Here’s a mouthwatering Italian Sausage and Mozzarella Cheese Sticks baked in Marinara Sauce recipe 🍝🧀
🍴 Italian Sausage & Mozzarella Cheese Sticks in Marinara
Ingredients (Serves 4)
For the cheese sticks:
- 12 mozzarella string cheese sticks (or cut mozzarella block into sticks)
- 6 Italian sausages (mild or spicy), cooked and sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs (Italian seasoned or plain + 1 tsp Italian seasoning)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Olive oil or cooking spray (for baking)
For the sauce:
- 2 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch of chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
1️⃣ Preheat oven
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Lightly grease a baking dish.
2️⃣ Prepare the cheese sticks
- Coat mozzarella sticks:
- Roll each stick in flour → dip in beaten eggs → coat in breadcrumbs mixed with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- For extra crunch, repeat egg + breadcrumb step for double coating.
- Place coated sticks on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes to prevent cheese from leaking during baking.
3️⃣ Prepare the sausage
- Slice cooked Italian sausages into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
4️⃣ Assemble in baking dish
- Pour marinara sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Arrange sausage pieces and frozen coated mozzarella sticks on top.
- Drizzle a little olive oil over the cheese sticks for a golden finish.
5️⃣ Bake
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15–20 minutes until the cheese sticks are golden and sauce is bubbling.
- Optional: broil 1–2 minutes at the end for extra crispiness.
6️⃣ Serve
- Serve hot straight from the baking dish.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
- Perfect with extra marinara sauce for dipping.
💡 Tips:
- Freeze cheese sticks before baking to prevent melting and leaking.
- Use spicy Italian sausage if you like a little kick.
- Serve as appetizer or main dish with garlic bread or salad.
If you want, I can also give a shortcut version using pre-cooked mozzarella sticks and a skillet so it’s ready in 15 minutes but still gooey and cheesy.
Do you want me to make that version?
