Jan D'Atri

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Compound Butters

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Do you love a great steak? A juicy piece of chicken? Savory seafood? How about adding a ton of flavor to a baked potato or a slice of grilled French bread? I’ve got the flavor bomb you need for all of these dishes and so much more! It’s called Compound Butter and it just elevates the flavor of so many foods in a very simple way! Compound butter is a real restaurant secret! It’s used a lot in high-end steak houses and many other establishments, and now you have the recipes to make your own right at home. Compound butter is simply unsalted butter, extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs and spices mixed together and refrigerated. You can make one basic all-purpose compound or create several compounds with ingredients that enhance certain foods. For my compounds I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt content, and besides, in my opinion, unsalted butter just tastes better. Then you will add chopped fresh herbs, some spices and salt and pepper. I love the idea of compound butters because once you make them, you just roll the butter combination into logs on parchment paper, keep them in your refrigerator and use them any time you want! Flavor bombs, for an explosion of flavor!

Watch My Video for Compound Butter here!

Beef Stew

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Julia Child made it fancy with her iconic Boeuf Bourguignon. But you don’t have to get fancy to make a delicious, satisfying good old-fashioned Beef Stew. With a half a dozen vegetables, some good stew meat, a packet of dry soup mix and a few seasonings, you can’t help but have one heck of a hearty meal! With our chilly winter evenings, Beef Stew is the perfect tummy warming comfort food and it’s about the easiest dish you can cook up! There are a few tips to making this recipe fantastic. First, grab a good stew meat. I prefer chuck roast because it has a bit of fat which adds a lot of flavor. (I have tried sirloin or other higher end cuts, but the chuck roast seems to offer the most flavor.) Once you cut it in cubes, dredge the meat in flour and brown in a skillet before adding to the Crockpot, Instant Pot or Dutch oven. After the stew is done, taste it, and if it needs a bit more flavor, just add a little beef bouillon. If you haven’t had Beef Stew in a while, make this recipe and you’ll be reminded of why it will always be one of America’s favorite family dishes!

Buffalo Cheddar Chile Dip

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You love jalapeno poppers. You love great Mexican dips. Now you can have them both with this cheesy, slightly spicy dish that gives you no choice but to dive in and indulge! The Buffalo Cheddar Chile Dip is so simple to whip up, bake up and gobble up for those game day watch parties or for any get-together. It’s also one of those recipes that you can adapt, adjust and add to for more kick. This dip combines crispy bacon bits, shredded grilled or rotisserie chicken and several cheeses. When creating this recipe, I came across Alouette Spicy Jalapeno Spread in the deli section of the grocery store and decided to add it to the shredded cheddar and jack cheeses as well as the cream cheese. It’s optional, but it does add a spicy yet creamy texture. If you want the dip to have more heat, just add more diced jalapeños or green chiles. Love bacon? Just add more. I baked this dip in a cast iron skillet and served it right from the pan with lots of corn tortilla chips and some homemade flour tortilla chips. It can also be served with crustini, crackers or cut vegetables. This Buffalo Cheddar Chile Dip is worth the deep dive into deliciousness!

Watch my How To Video for Buffalo Cheddar Chile Dip here!