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mozzarella en carrozza on a white plate with puttanesca sauce and more mozzarella en carrozza behind.
Mozzarella en Carrozza with Putanesca Sauce
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
28 mins
Freezing Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 53 mins
 
"En Carrozza" means "in a carriage". This mozzarella en carrozza recipe is one step better than a grilled cheese sandwich - it's a crispy fried grilled cheese sandwich!
From Air Fry Genius by Meredith Laurence
Course: Appetizers/Snacks, Sandwiches
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Vegetarian, Lunch, Air Fryer, party food, Great Snacks, Make Ahead, Air Fryer Snacks, Deep Fried Favorties
Servings: 8
Calories: 290 kcal
Author: Meredith Laurence
Ingredients
Puttanesca Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 anchovy chopped (optional)
  • 2 clove garlic minced
  • 14 ounce canned petite diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup chicken stock or water
  • 1/3 cup Kalamata olives chopped
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
  • 8 slices of thinly sliced white bread Pepperidge Farms
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into ¼-inch slices
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • cups seasoned panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil in a spray bottle
Instructions
  1. Start by making the Puttanesca sauce. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan on the stovetop. Add the anchovies (if using, and I really think you should!) and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes, or until the anchovies have “melted” into the oil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, olives, capers, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in the fresh parsley.
  2. Cut the crusts off the slices of bread. Place four slices of the bread on a cutting board. Divide the cheese between the four slices of bread. Top the cheese with the remaining four slices of bread to make little sandwiches and cut each sandwich into 4 triangles.
  3. Set up a dredging station using three shallow dishes. Place the flour in the first shallow dish, the eggs in the second dish and in the third dish, combine the panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Dredge each little triangle in the flour first (you might think this is redundant, but it helps to get the coating to adhere to the edges of the sandwiches) and then dip them into the egg, making sure both sides and the edges are coated. Let the excess egg drip off and then press the triangles into the breadcrumb mixture, pressing the crumbs on with your hands so they adhere. Place the coated triangles in the freezer for 2 hours, until the cheese is frozen.
  4. Pre-heat the air fryer to 390ºF. Spray all sides of the mozzarella triangles with oil and transfer a single layer of triangles to the air fryer basket. Air-fry in batches at 390ºF for 5 minutes. Turn the triangles over and air-fry for an additional 3 minutes.
  5. Serve mozzarella triangles immediately with the warm puttanesca sauce.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

You’ll be happy to hear that you can make these ahead of time! Once the mozzarella is frozen after step 3, transfer the frozen triangles to freezer bags and then air-fry any time you fancy a delicious snack or for your next party.

Nutrition Facts
Mozzarella en Carrozza with Putanesca Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 290 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 85mg28%
Sodium 784mg33%
Potassium 265mg8%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 470IU9%
Vitamin C 5.4mg7%
Calcium 261mg26%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.