The Secret Trick to the Easiest-Ever Mozzarella Sticks

If you're like most people these days, you head to TikTok when you want a new recipe or a food hack . Some of them are great, but others can leave you disappointed that you spent so much time trying them.

But love ‘em or hate ‘em, TikTok food hacks aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

One popular TikTok hack seems too easy and too good to be a fail, though, and it's making us wonder why we didn't think of it first. Pan-fried string cheese is extremely popular on the app and it's exactly what it sounds like. This snack is so simple it's almost infuriating that we haven't tried it before. We saw the trick on @iricksnacks feed, but there are many versions on the app.

Related: This 'Cracking' Latte is Going Viral and People Are 'Sprinting' to Try It

How to Make Pan-Fried String Cheese

To make it, you just unwrap some string cheese while you heat a dry, non-stick pan over the stove. You don't even need oil because string cheese already has a lot of natural fat that will melt as it warms, keeping the cheese from sticking to the pan.

Then, you toss the cheese in the pan and flatten it with a fork. Let it fry on one side for a minute, until it's crispy and brown, then flip it. Cook it on the other side, slide it out of the pan, let it cool for a minute or two, then dig in. The pan-fried cheese has all the gooey, melty, cheesy goodness of mozzarella sticks without all the breading.

This is a versatile snack, as well as an easy one. You can enjoy it as is, or you can dip it in ranch, marinara or whatever sauce you like. Try serving it with toast and jam in the morning, or have it with some fruit as an afternoon snack.

This trend became especially popular among people following a Keto diet, because certain types of cheese are part of most Keto plans. It's a great snack that fits well into the Keto eating plan, but it's also great for anyone who loves browned melty cheese, which we suspect is a large portion of the population. It's a cheap, easy and fun snack for eaters of all ages, which makes it a win all the way around!

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