PROJECT OF THE DAY: Stuffed Mushrooms

Thought I'd do a really quick post today for you guys. Last week I was supposed to give a cooking lesson on Stuffed Mushrooms to a friend, unfortunately we had to cancel. I, of course, still had to make the mushrooms since I still had all of the ingredients sitting in my fridge. I know it's not the same as having an actual cooking lesson, but here's how to make them!


INGREDIENTS: (again, i'm sorry for the not so exact measurements)

About 30 mushrooms (preferably larger ones)
½ a large or 1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. Ground sausage/pork (I like to use half spicy and half regular)
1–2 tbs. Honey
¼ cup cream cheese
breadcrumbs
2-3 stalks green onions, chopped
grated parmesan

STEP 1:
Prepare the mushrooms by wiping off any dirt on the mushrooms with a moist towel. Remove all the stems and finely chop them. Set aside. Heat a large pan and precook the mushroom caps by cooking them for a few minutes on each side until browned. Once browned, transfer mushrooms to baking dish. If any liquid comes out of mushrooms during cooking, be sure to pour it out into a separate container before placing in baking dish.

mushroom caps waiting to be filled

STEP 2:
In same pan, drizzle some olive oil. Once oil is heated, saute onions until browned and softened. Then add garlic and saute a few more minutes. Now add in ground sausage, making sure to break it up in the pan. Once all the pink in the sausage is gone, add in all the chopped mushroom stems. Mix well with meat, and cook for about another 5 minutes. Drizzle in the honey, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Now stir in the cream cheese. Be sure to let the cheese fully melt and incorporate with the meat. If the mixture looks a little watery, add a handful of breadcrumbs at a time until mixture has thickened. Lastly, mix in a couple handfuls of chopped green onions. Turn off heat.

sauteed onions and garlic

STEP 3:
Take mixture and carefully spoon a couple of scoops into each mushroom cap. Be sure to pack down the meat with spoon so that it doesn't fall apart. Once the mushrooms are all filled, sprinkle as much or as little parmesan cheese you want on top. (to make things easier I like to make sure all the mushrooms are bunched together).


STEP 4:
Set oven to Broil. Once oven is heated and ready, place baking dish on top rack. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is slightly browned. The mushrooms are ready to be served!

mushroom goodness!

*Here's a little tip – There will most likely be leftover filling. I usually like to just eat the leftover with some rice or mix it into an omelet. Perfect for breakfast the next morning!