Probably fifteen years ago now I whined at my mom (don't worry I was a teenager back then) that I didn't have anything to contribute to Thanksgiving dinner because she got to cook it all. All I got to do was iron the tablecloth, set the table, and grind up bread for fresh bread crumbs. Nothing too exciting for the girl who fancied herself as a chef-in-training. Luckily, my mother came up with a task for me. She encouraged me to make appetizers that would serve as a light lunch to tide us over between breakfast and the feast to come. I dug into this task with relish.

Back to present day, appetizers are still my domain and I am always experimenting. Interestingly though, I did find perfection that first year of making appetizers when I created my recipe for Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms. Earthy, warm and comforting, but with the sharpness of blue cheese; they are perfection. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

The Recipe

Ingredients

24 oz. white or brown button mushrooms (see note 1)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ red onion, finely chopped
splash of white wine (optional)
1 ½ c. dry bread crumbs
2 T. parsley, chopped
6 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
2-3 dashes of hot sauce
salt + pepper, to taste
1 egg
olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. To prepare the mushrooms for stuffing, brush away any dirt with a damp paper towel. Don’t just wash them in the sink because they will just absorb the water and become really mushy when you cook them. Choose 15-20 of the best mushrooms (medium-sized, uniform, unbroken, etc.). Remove the stems, then cut or scoop away the bottom bit of the mushroom where you find the brown gills.

Do not throw away any of this mushroomy goodness, just set it aside. Spray a baking sheet or cupcake pan (or 2) with cooking spray and arrange the prepared mushrooms capside-down on the sheet or in the pan. Moving on to the filling. Chop up the reserved mushroom bits, as well as, any unused mushrooms.

Heat some olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the chopped mushroom, garlic, and onion. Let this mixture sauté for a few minutes, stirring frequently to prevent too much browning. Season with salt and pepper. If you want to add another tasty dimension to the flavor splash in a little bit of white wine.

Cook another 1-2 minutes just to make sure everything is softened. Remove the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add in the bread crumbs, parsley, egg, blue cheese, and hot sauce. Mix until it no longer crumbles and can form small patties that stick together. If the mixture is too dry as a little olive oil; if it is too wet, sprinkle in some bread crumbs.

Now it’s time to stuff. Depending on the size of your mushrooms and how much mixture you have, spoon a heaping tablespoon or a little more of the stuffing onto every mushroom and press it into the cavity forming a domes lid on each one. That makes it sound complicated, but it is a very straightforward task. Just look at the pictures if you are confused. Bake in your preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the tops are browned and the mushrooms are cooked through. Serve immediately.

Notes

(1) The choice of white or brown mushroom is up to you. I think the brown mushrooms (baby bellas in my supermarket) are tastier and meatier, but there is more variation in size, so presentation can be a little bit of an issue. The white mushrooms are blander, but more uniform. So make your decision based on your goal and what you see if your own supermarket.

(2)The mushrooms can be prepared ahead of time by stuffing them and then putting them in Tupperware and storing them in the refrigerator for up to two days. Add a couple of minutes to the cooking time to make up for their colder state