If you grew up in America, odds are you have a similar story from childhood: Eating those “crispy, crunchy” frozen fish sticks at lunch. A better description might be “sometimes soggy, sometimes still frozen, and often tongue-ruining hot” fish sticks.
Maybe you had your fish sticks with some mac and cheese, dipped it into some ketchup and washed down with a glass of milk. The fact that hardly any of these went together didn’t matter then and probably doesn’t matter to your kids now.
But as time can do, it makes many things better – including your childhood fish sticks. With a prep time of only 15 minutes, a cook time of only 20 minutes, and a serving size of up to four toddler meals, this Homemade Fish Sticks recipe is a hit with parents and littles, alike. Pair it with an age-appropriate veggie and some honey mustard dipping sauce, and it’s a healthy hit!
Just make sure it’s fully cooked this time.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 16-ounce cod
- 2 large egg white
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup plain panko (or breadcrumbs)
- 1-ounce shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup cold-pressed oil (avocado, almond, sunflower, or other med/high-heat oil)
- Dipping sauce (BBQ, honey mustard, or ketchup)
Directions:
- Cut fish into 1-inch wide short strips about the length of your pinkie finger and set aside
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites and pepper together
- In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed, seasoning, salt, planko, and parmesan cheese and blend well
- Line up your bowls with egg first, then bread crumb mixture, then a clean plate
- Dip the fish strip into the egg mix and let it excess drain off
- Dip the fish next into the bread crumb mix, making sure it’s fully coated
- Place onto the clean plate. Repeat until all fish is coated.
- Heat half the oil (1/8 cup) in a large skillet at medium-high heat
- Fill skillet with fish in a single layer. Cook on each side for 4 minutes.
- Remove from skillet and place on clean plate. Cover to retain heat.
- Add more oil to the skillet as needed and let it heat up before adding remaining fish
- Cut fish into smaller pieces as appropriate for their age and let cool before serving
Recipe Yields: 4 Toddler Servings
Store in freezer and reheat from frozen at 400 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes.