Fried cheese sticks with a quick tomato sauce turn a shelf staple into dinner. The melted cheese inside resists pooling once it cools slightly, so you get that contrast of crisp crust and yielding center. Eat them with bread and greens, or stretch them into a pasta toss.

Serves 2. 30 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 610 calories a serving, 34 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 46 g fat. From USDA figures for 88% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Place the cheese sticks in the freezer while you set up. Mix 1/4 cup flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a small plate. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a pinch of flour sizzles.
2. Pat each cheese stick dry and roll it in the flour mixture, coating all sides. When the oil is hot, lay the cheese sticks in the pan in a single layer and fry until golden brown on all sides, turning once or twice, about 3 minutes total; they need just a moment before the cheese leaks. Transfer to a plate.3 min
3. Pour out most of the oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Mince 2 cloves garlic and add to the pan over medium heat, stirring until it turns golden, about 1 minute. Pour in one 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes with 1 tablespoon butter and a pinch of salt, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes while the sauce thickens slightly.5 min
4. Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper. Divide the cheese sticks and sauce between two plates and serve hot with bread for dipping.

Note Swap in fresh mozzarella sticks if that is what you have. Leftover sauce keeps three days refrigerated and reheats gently; the fried sticks are best eaten the day they are made. Serve with crusty bread, a green salad, or toss extra sauce with pasta to stretch the meal.