Start by cutting down the mozzarella. Unwrap and cut each mozzarella stick in half so you’re left with 16 pieces of cheese.

Toss the sticks of cheese in the flour until well coated, this will help the egg mixture stick to the cheese, then set aside on the cutting board and line a small baking sheet with parchment.

In a bowl, combine the cereal, bread crumbs, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and water.

To coat the mozzarella sticks, use one hand to roll the cheese in the egg mixture, followed by the cereal breadcrumbs, carefully pressing to make sure the cereal sticks to the egg then re-dunk the stick into the egg, followed by the cereal for a second time, carefully pressing to make sure the cereal breadcrumbs stick to the egg. The double coat of egg and breadcrumbs gets you the crispy coating that protects the cheese during the frying process.

Place the mozzarella stick onto the parchment lined baking sheet and repeat the process with the rest of the cheese. Once you’ve coated all the mozzarella, place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 3 hours for the mozzarella sticks to freeze completely. If the sticks aren’t frozen the cheese will melt immediately when you try to fry them, freezing makes it so the coating will get nice and golden brown before the cheese melts and escapes.

Once the mozzarella sticks are frozen and you’re ready to fry, fill a large pot or saucepan with at least 2 inches of neutral oil and heat to 360ºF. Cook the mozzarella sticks for about 2 minutes in the oil, trying to make sure the pan isn’t crowded so the oil doesn’t cool down too much. Once the mozzarella sticks are a nice golden brown, immediately remove them from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate. Serve while still warm with marinara sauce.