Oven-Baked Cheese Sticks

Cut each piece of the string cheese in half down the center to make twenty-four 2-inch sticks. If using a fresh block of mozzarella, cut the block into similar size sticks, about 2 inches long and about an inch or so wide.

Place the cheese sticks in a freezer bag and freeze for at least one hour before continuing.

Preheat your oven to 400 F.

In three separate bowls, place the flour, the egg beaten with the water and the breadcrumbs. Season the flour with salt and pepper to taste. Just a few sprinkles should do it. Add the garlic powder and Italian seasoning to the breadcrumbs.

Pull the bag of cheese out of the freezer. Roll the frozen cheese, a few at a time first in the flour, then in the egg then in the crumbs, pressing firmly to make sure the crumbs stick. Place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 F for about 15 minutes or until the breading is slightly golden and the cheese is soft, but not oozing out everywhere.