Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients:

Measure:
All-purpose flour, divided 1 cup
Salt, divided 2 tsp.
Cornstarch ⅓ cup
Water ½ cup
Panko 1 cup
Nutritional yeast 3 Tbsp.
Italian seasoning 2 tsp.
Garlic granules 2 tsp.
Onion granules 2 tsp.
Black pepper, freshly cracked 1 tsp.
Chao™ Creamy Original Slices, block left intact, cut into 1” thick slices 12 oz.
Grapeseed or canola oil, for frying As needed

Method:

  1. Set up a station with three medium-sized bowls.
  2. Add ½ cup of flour to the first bowl.
  3. Add remaining flour, 1 tsp. salt and cornstarch to the second bowl; mix well. Add in water, whisk until smooth. Consistency should be similar to an egg wash.
  4. Add panko, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic, onion and pepper to the third bowl; mix well.
  5. To bread the cheese, work in small batches of 2 or 3 pieces at a time. Dust the cheese slices in the first bowl, tapping off any excess. Dunk the cheese into the wet mixture, then transfer to the panko mixture, pressing the breading evenly over the cheese. Transfer the breaded cheese to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining cheese.
  6. Critical step. Place the plate of cheese sticks into the freezer to chill for at least 30 minutes before frying. By chilling the cheese sticks, they will fry much better and keep the breading intact during the frying process.
  7. To fry the cheese, bring several inches of oil to 350ºF (177ºC) or 375ºF (191ºC) over medium heat. Test oil with a crumb of breading. Once oil is ready, gently drop in cheese, working in small batches, and fry until golden brown all over. Transfer to a cooling rack gently placed over a baking sheet to catch excess oil; repeat process with remaining cheese sticks.