Whisk together the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk.
In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the panko bread crumbs, cheese and Italian seasoning.
Dredge each cheese stick in the flour, then the buttermilk and lastly the panko mixture to coat.
Arrange the cheese sticks on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Freeze the cheese sticks for 1 hour or overnight.
When ready to fry, pour the oil in a large skillet with the garlic cloves and heat over medium high heat until the garlic is golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and discard.
Once the oil reaches 350˚F, carefully add the mozzarella sticks to the oil 2 at a time. (Adding too many at one time will drop the temperature of the oil significantly.)
Fry the mozzarella sticks until golden brown and no longer frozen, approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Using a wire spider or slotted spoon, remove the cheese sticks from the oil and transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mozzarella sticks.
Serve immediately with pizza sauce or marinara for dipping.
Notes
If your mozzarella sticks are getting too brown before they are fully cooked, turn the heat down. If the oil gets too hot they will cook too quickly on the outside before becoming melty, cheesy goodness.A good way to test the oil if you do not have at thermometer is to drop a small piece of bread into the oil. If it sizzles, the oil is ready. You can also dip the end of a wooden spoon into the oil to test it, if the oil sizzles when you dip the spoon then the oil is ready.To make in advance, once your mozzarella sticks are frozen, transfer to an airtight container or zip top bag then return to the freezer.To freeze already fried mozzarella sticks, allow the cheese sticks to cool to room temperature and transfer to a zip top bag. Press out the air and seal. Freeze until ready to cook.To reheat frozen, fried mozzarella sticks, preheat your oven to 350˚F and arrange the mozzarella sticks on a baking sheet in a single layer. Transfer to the oven and heat until hot and beginning to melt.