RITZ Spinach-Mozzarella Sticks

Name: RITZ Spinach-Mozzarella Sticks
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: ¾ cup baby spinach leaves; 1 pkg. brick cream cheese, softened; 1 pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese; 1 tsp. garlic powder; ½ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise; ½ cup roasted red peppers (1/2 of 12-oz. jar); 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice; 2 eggs; ¼ cup flour; 40 RITZ Crackers, finely crushed; 1 qt. oil

If you love spinach dip, you'll love this appetizer! A cheesy spinach mixture is frozen and cut into sticks, then fried and served with roasted red pepper dip.

Prep time:

0 min

Total time:

0 h

Servings:

Makes 16 servings, 2 mozzarella sticks and 1 Tbsp. sauce each.

Ingredient list

¾ cup tightly packed baby spinach leaves
1 pkg. (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
½ cup drained roasted red peppers (1/2 of 12-oz. jar)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
¼ cup flour
40 RITZ Crackers, finely crushed
1 qt. (4 cups) oil

Directions

Place spinach and 1 Tbsp. water in a microwaveable bowl. Cover and microwave until starting to wilt, about 30 to 45 sec. Cool, then chop.

Mix cream cheese, mozzarella, garlic powder and cooled spinach until blended; spread onto bottom of parchment-lined 8-inch square pan.

Freeze 30 min. Meanwhile, blend mayonnaise, peppers and lemon juice in blender until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Beat eggs in shallow dish until blended. Place flour in separate shallow dish, then place cracker crumbs in third dish.

Use parchment handles to transfer cheese mixture to cutting board; cut in half, then cut each half crosswise into 16 sticks. Working in small batches, dip cheese sticks, one at a time in flour, then eggs, then cracker crumbs, turning to evenly coat each cheese stick with each ingredient.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 350°F. Add cheese sticks, in small batches, to hot oil; cook 30 to 40 sec. or until golden brown. Remove from oil with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Cool slightly.

Serve with roasted red pepper sauce.

Recipe Tips

Snack MindfullyStay in the moment and focus on what you’re eating for a satisfying experience with a portion of your snack.
Make AheadThese fun-to-eat cheese sticks can be partially prepped ahead of time. Coat cheese sticks with ingredients as directed. Wrap tightly, then place in single layer in freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Freeze up to 1 week before frying and serving as directed. No need to thaw before frying the cheese sticks in the hot oil.
How to Reheat in the OvenCool, then refrigerate any leftover cheese sticks. When ready to serve, heat oven to 350°F. Place cheese sticks in single layer on parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake 5 min. or until heated through.