Party Food

We had an Italian potluck at church last weekend and I didn't want to show up with lasagna - what I assumed many other people would bring - so dedcided to try something new and different. I found this recipe for Marinated Mozzarella in a Southern Living 2007 annual recipes book that a friend of mine gave to me. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good! It gets better and better each day that it sits too. If you want to wow some guests at your next dinner party, pull this one out. It's a keeper!

Marinated Mozzarella

3 (8 oz) balls of fresh Mozzarella cheese
1 (8.5 oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 C olive oil
3 Tb. finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Cut balls of cheese into small cubes and put in an 8x8 pan. Add chopped tomatoes. Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the cheese. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours. However, this can be made days in advance as well. You can gently toss the cheese mid-way through your marinating time. Garnish with more parsley and serve in a pretty dish with crackers. Makes about 4 cups

Notes: I found fairly inexpensive fresh mozzarella at Wal-Mart, believe-it-or-not. You can really taste the delicious olive oil, so use some good stuff. And I reserved some of the oil from the drained tomatoes and drizzled a little of that in with the marinade. YUM YUM!