Place the flour in one shallow dish. In a second dish, beat the egg with milk. In a third dish, combine the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan with dried Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt.

Take each mozzarella stick and first dip it in the flour to lightly coat, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the seasoned panko breadcrumbs. For an extra crunchy coating, you may repeat the egg and breadcrumb dips one more time.

Place the breaded sticks on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze for at least one hour. Freezing helps keep the cheese from oozing out during frying.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet or saucepan to 350°F. Fry the frozen mozzarella sticks in small batches for about 1 minute on each side until they are golden brown. Remove them onto paper towels to drain excess oil.

If desired, sprinkle with fresh herbs for garnish. Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping.