Jan D'Atri

Jan D'Atri > Jan’s Recipes > shredded mozzarella

shredded mozzarella

Man Cave Meatballs

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Dad deserves a delicious dish for Father’s Day, and this one is hearty enough for a Man Cave meal, and elegant enough for a gourmet dinner!  Who doesn’t love a giant juicy meatball surrounded by melted cheesey deliciousness hiding inside a delicate puff pastry? They are so easy to prepare, and it all starts with puff pastry sheets. The only tricky thing about this recipe is to remember to buy the puff pastry sheets (they will be frozen) and let them thaw out in the refrigerator overnight. (Never thaw the puff pastry sheets on the counter at room temperature. You’ll end up with a doughy mess!)

Other than that, it’s a breeze! I love meatballs that have an equal amount of beef and pork or pork Italian sausage, although I’ve made these with turkey meatballs and they’re just as delicious!

The original recipe calls for adding raw onion and garlic to the meatball mixture, but I always sauté the onion and garlic first, then let it cool down before adding it to the mixture. By doing that, you’ll get a richer, sweeter flavor out of the meatballs!

Happy Father’s Day, Dads! Let’s hope meatballs are on your Father’s Day menu!

Watch my How To Video for Meatballs in Puff Pastry here!

Eggplant Parmesan

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From my Momma’s kitchen to yours this Mother’s Day, here’s a favorite D’Atri family recipe. Momma’s Eggplant Parmesan Casserole is the ultimate comfort food, and as all moms know, casseroles are a secret weapon in the kitchen! They can be made ahead and frozen until ready for use. They feed a hungry crowd and they always seem to taste better the next day. My Momma figured out years ago how to get the eggplant softened and yet still have the pan-grilled flavor. Her homemade marinara sauce only takes twenty minutes to make from start to finish. The combination of the two is a match made in heaven! I think these days we are having a lot of family meals together and this is a great dish that can be enjoyed piping hot right out of the oven! Surprise Mom this year with a casserole of comfort!

Watch my How to Video Here!

Lasagne Soup

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Allow me to introduce you to my new favorite dish! If you love lasagna, you’re going to absolutely be giddy over making this simple soup that tastes exactly like lasagne! I can’t stop making it for friends and family, and I sort of get a kick out of watching them come back for seconds….and thirds…and then holding their tummy because they’ve eaten too much! Be prepared for the same reaction! This Lasagne Soup is just scrumptious! I often hear that folks love lasagne but only order it in restaurants because it’s rather tedious to assemble. With Lasagne Soup, it’s a One Pot Wonder of deliciousness without the stress. In fact, you don’t even cook the lasagne noodles ahead of time. You simply throw the raw noodles into the soup! It’s just as delicious whether you use turkey, beef, Italian pork sausage or a combination of all three! One of the things that really makes it taste like lasagna is the ricotta mixture that you dollop on top of the soup when you plate it! If you like Italian cuisine, if you like easy, if you like to please people with a hearty dish that they will adore, then I hope you make Lasagne Soup soon!

Watch my How To Video for Lasagne Soup here!