Garlic Cheese Sticks with Marinara

I am not a football kind of gal, but I know the Superbowl is coming up & a lot of people get together for that, so I thought I better share something to eat since I totally flaked out last year on some good party grub.  

This is totally a man's type of snack.  My husband even asked around his office what kind of recipe the men would like to make for the Superbowl.  The census was in & these Garlic Cheese Sticks won!  Now the homemade marinara is optional, because obviously if the wife is not fixing the snacks, & the husband is, we want something simple for him to do right?  So opening up & heating a can of your favorite spaghetti sauce is acceptable, but I do have to say that the sauce is fairly quick & easy & freezes well too, so you might consider it.

Garlic Cheese Sticks with Marinara

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Garlic Cheese Sticks

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 Tbsp yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 Tbsp margarine, softened
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• 1 cup mozzarella

Marinara

• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp sugar (to cut the acidity of the tomatoes)

1. In a medium sized bowl, dissolve yeast & sugar into warm water.  Let mixture sit 5 minutes until it bubbles up.
2. Add 1/2 tsp salt & 1 1/2 cups flour.  Using a spoon give 50 good stirs until the mixture balls up & doesn't stick to the bowl, sprinkling dough with extra flour as necessary.  Take dough out of bowl.  Spray the inside of the bowl & put the dough back in.  Cover with a towel & let rise for 30 minutes or until double in size.
3. Meanwhile prepare the marinara:  Heat oil in a large saucepan.  Saute onion & garlic 1-2 minutes or until soft & fragrant.  De-glaze pan with chicken broth.  Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, kosher salt, pepper, parsley & sugar.  Stir & let simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Spray a pizza pan with pan-coating & turn the dough out onto the greased pan.  Sprinkle the top with a dusting of flour & roll the dough out into a circle, like pizza crust about 1/4" thin.  
5. Spread the softened margarine on top of the dough.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, kosher salt, & parsley.  Then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake at 425*F for 11-12 minutes.  Remove from pan, cut in half & then in strips to form sticks to dip in your fresh marinara sauce.  Enjoy!

Serves 8.  *Freeze any leftover sauce for spaghetti later because it makes a lot!

I am not a football kind of gal, but I know the Superbowl is coming up & a lot of people get together for that, so I thought I better share something to eat since I totally flaked out last year on some good party grub.  

This is totally a man's type of snack.  My husband even asked around his office what kind of recipe the men would like to make for the Superbowl.  The census was in & these Garlic Cheese Sticks won!  Now the homemade marinara is optional, because obviously if the wife is not fixing the snacks, & the husband is, we want something simple for him to do right?  So opening up & heating a can of your favorite spaghetti sauce is acceptable, but I do have to say that the sauce is fairly quick & easy & freezes well too, so you might consider it.

Garlic Cheese Sticks with Marinara

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Garlic Cheese Sticks

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 Tbsp yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 Tbsp margarine, softened
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• 1 cup mozzarella

Marinara

• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp sugar (to cut the acidity of the tomatoes)

1. In a medium sized bowl, dissolve yeast & sugar into warm water.  Let mixture sit 5 minutes until it bubbles up.
2. Add 1/2 tsp salt & 1 1/2 cups flour.  Using a spoon give 50 good stirs until the mixture balls up & doesn't stick to the bowl, sprinkling dough with extra flour as necessary.  Take dough out of bowl.  Spray the inside of the bowl & put the dough back in.  Cover with a towel & let rise for 30 minutes or until double in size.
3. Meanwhile prepare the marinara:  Heat oil in a large saucepan.  Saute onion & garlic 1-2 minutes or until soft & fragrant.  De-glaze pan with chicken broth.  Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, kosher salt, pepper, parsley & sugar.  Stir & let simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Spray a pizza pan with pan-coating & turn the dough out onto the greased pan.  Sprinkle the top with a dusting of flour & roll the dough out into a circle, like pizza crust about 1/4" thin.  
5. Spread the softened margarine on top of the dough.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, kosher salt, & parsley.  Then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake at 425*F for 11-12 minutes.  Remove from pan, cut in half & then in strips to form sticks to dip in your fresh marinara sauce.  Enjoy!

Serves 8.  *Freeze any leftover sauce for spaghetti later because it makes a lot!