Golden Fried Stuffed Olives

Olives. Love them or hate them, they're always there: on pickle trays, complementing hors d'oeuvres, in the summer picnic potato salad, or just hanging out in the fridge. I love olives of every variety, and I always have a jar or two on hand. This particular recipe is a great appetizer, good in salads, or just as a tasty snack. I used blue cheese-stuffed olives, but feel free to use another stuffed olive of your choice.

Ingredients

• Oil, for frying

• 2 cups blue cheese stuffed olives

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs

• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan to 350 degrees F.

2. Dry your olives on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Add the flour, eggs, and Panko breadcrumbs to three separate shallow dishes. Season the breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper.

3. Dredge a few olives in the flour, coating them completely, then dip them in the eggs, and then coat them in the breadcrumbs. Set aside and repeat with the remaining olives.

4. Working in batches, fry the olives in the hot oil until crispy and golden, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove the olives to a wire rack over a paper towel lined sheet tray. Continue to fry the remaining olives.

5. Transfer the cooked olives to a serving platter and garnish with parsley.

Enjoy!