Toddler-Friendly "Not Your Fish Fry" Fish Sticks

Let's face it, in the South, there's nothing quite like a deep fried piece of fish to get a party started.  Not the healthiest meal, but then again...it's fried-fish-deliciousness.  I have been trying to perfect an oven baked version that still somehow remains crispy, and it's been tough my friends--until now.  I think I have the combo and cooking method pretty much down for some oven fried fish goodness that your toddler and large toddler (husbands, etc) will love!

I know you can buy a big bag of frozen fish sticks from the supermarket and call it a day.  But take a look at the ingredients on most of those bags and you'll realize how many preservatives and extras have to be loaded into those fish sticks to get them to hold together.  Then, look at these ingredients:

Ingredients:

2 lbs Alaskan Cod - Sliced into 1 inch thick and 2 inch wide fish stick size pieces

2 cups of whole wheat flour (or regular flour)

2 cups of Panko bread crumbs

2 eggs

3-4 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1 tsp Parsley flakes

1 tsp Paprika

Salt and Pepper

Juice of 2 lemons

2 tbsp of Dijon mustard

Cooking Spray


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and line a cookie sheet with foil.  I HIGHLY recommend using a nonstick cooling rack for this recipe.  I placed the cooling rack over the cookie sheet so that all sides of the fish sticks could be equally heated and crispy.  Otherwise, you run the risk of having one side of the fish sticks mushy and getting stuck to the cookie sheet.

Generously spray your cooling rack with non stick spray.


Put your flour in one plate.  Combine the Old Bay Seasoning, parsley flakes, paprika and Panko crumbs into a separate plate.  Combine your eggs, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard in a third large, shallow bowl.  Dry your fish as best you can with some paper towel and place on a fourth plate.

Set up your breading station in this order: Fish sticks, flour, egg wash, and Panko, with the Panko being closest to the cookie sheet.  In my setup below, my cookie sheet is on the left out of frame, and the fish sticks are farthest from the cookie sheet.

Dip each fish stick into the flour and dust off the excess.  Dip into the egg wash, letting excess drip off before finally coating it into the Panko.  Place each stick onto your rack and repeat until you run out of space on the rack.  You may need to do a second batch of fish sticks depending on how many you made.

Once all the fish sticks are on the rack, stick them in the oven for around 13-14 minutes.  They should be golden and crispy and flake easily with a fork.  As a reminder, the internal temperature of the fish should be at least 145 degrees.

Serve with some roasted veggies or a salad on the side.  I made a little cocktail sauce for my husband and I mixed 3 parts ketchup with 1 part horseradish.  YUM!  My toddler loved these fish sticks.  If you have picky fish eaters in the house, definitely give these a try since the cod is such a mild, non- fishy-tasting fish!  Enjoy!