Thursday, February 5, 2009

Fun-Guy



Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods. I love them in a dish, on a dish and as the dish. I actively seek out recipes that include them and frequently add them to recipes that do not. It wasn't until about 2 years into my relationship with Forrest that he informed me he doesn't really like mushrooms. It was like finding out Santa Claus isn't real. Why hadn't he ever told me? How much had he suffered? And WHO doesn't like mushrooms?!?!?! The shock lasted for a while because the truth is that there isn't really any food Forrest doesn't eat. He is the most unpicky eater I know besides my mom. So we talked it through and I found out he doesn't hate them (thankfully) and he doesn't mind if I still serve them but he just doesn't want them to be the main ingredient in a dish - good bye portobello burgers and portobello pizzas. Ever since the the big mushroom reveal I have tried to back off of mushrooms. Every now and then I still sneak them in and I figured this recipe would go over well. Mix sausage with dirt and call it a casserole and Forrest will eat it. Fortunately he loved this dish and even mentioned that they were the best mushrooms he has ever eaten.

Stuffed Mushrooms
Adapted from Cooking Light 2006

Yeild

12 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed mushrooms)

Ingredients
  • 24 large button/stuffing mushrooms (about 1 3/4 pounds)
  • Cooking spray
  • 3 tablespoons chopped green onions
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 4 ounces 50%-less-fat pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean 50% less fat)
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
  • 3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Clean mushrooms, and remove stems;

finely chop stems.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onions and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add the reserved mushroom stems, red pepper, salt, and black pepper; sauté 2 minutes or until stems are tender.

Add sausage, and cook until browned, stirring to crumble.

Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese and breadcrumbs.

Stuff 1 tablespoon of sausage mixture into each mushroom cap. Push the mixture down in the mushroom while stuffing in order to fill the entire cavity.

Arrange mushroom caps in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or baking pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until lightly golden and thoroughly heated.

14 comments:

Caroline said...

Ok, I'm one of the few mushroom haters too. Fungi are weird. But Jimmy Dean, cream cheese, parm cheese... Sign Me UP!

Anonymous said...

You are a little pushy when it comes to mushrooms... the first time I ever met you (in Dothan) you told me "you WILL try and LOVE portobello burgers! It tastes just like steak!" I tried but I didn't love portobello burgers; as a matter of fact, I didn't even LIKE it!
The stuffed mushrooms look good??????

Spryte said...

Those look GREAT!!!

Anonymous said...

It's beyond me how anyone can not like mushrooms. How very UN-continental. These look wonderful. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Anonymous said...

bizzy, like my daughter, i don't really like mushrooms either, but these do look good.

what inspires you to give "you're" recipes their names. most times by their names one would never know what you are cooking. their names conjure one thing, and they end up being another. you're inspiration please.

nammo in alabama

Elizabeth said...

Nammo,

It really depends. Sometimes they just come to me in a flash without any thought and they seem so easy and so appropriate. Sometimes my posts are hours late because I spend so much time trying, pulling, stretching for anything that will fit. Twice I have had to call my best friend Amanda for inspiration because everything else failed. This particular title came from a joke a friend of mine use to tell me. He knew I loved mushrooms and he used to tell me he was just like a mushroom and I would ask why and he would say "Because, I'm a Fun Guy". No matter how many times he told me I would always chuckle.

gaga said...

Yum, I love stuffed mushrooms. You can stuff it with almost anything and I'll be happy. Sausage is a great filling!

Anonymous said...

Yummy! I love mushrooms too. I'm allergic to portobellos and shitakes, but everything else is fair game and I use them liberally. I had to laugh at the sausage and casserole comment. If I use any of the following my husband will eat it: sausage, Velveeta, gravy. He's such a gourmet. lol. This recipe looks completely delicious!

Woody said...

I really liked this mushroom dish. When are we having that casserole with the dirt?

PS. You do an excellent job as my wife.

Debbie said...

Yumm...they look good. I haven't made stuffed mushrooms in quite a while and now I want them again!!

What's Cookin Chicago said...

I love how your mushrooms turned out and the filling sounds delicious!

Sheena said...

mmmmm they sound so yummy..I am going to have to make this recipe for stuffed mushrooms!! thanks for sharing

Joie de vivre said...

He doesn't like MUSHROOMS!

test it comm said...

Those stuffed mushrooms look good!