When I found out some good friends were going to be in our neighborhood later in the day, I invited them to stop for a glass of wine. And I CAN’T have company without FEEDING them too! So I rummaged through the frig and cupboards to see what I could make…without going to the store.
I succeeded without a grocery run (except for a bakery loaf of French bread) in pulling together the following:
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (store bought) and Veggie Platter
- Bruschetta with Homemade Tomato-Garlic Topping
- And these Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms…
Here’s how I made them:
SAUSAGE STUFFED MUSHROOMS
- 2 boxes fresh crimini mushrooms (that’s all I had-but makes enough filling for at least FOUR boxes! And you can substitute white button mushrooms if you’d like.)
- 1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage (use whatever kind YOU like!)
- 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
- 1/2 yellow onion-finely diced
- 4-6 cloves garlic-minced
- 1 egg yolk (discard the white)
- 1/3 Cup White Wine
- 3/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Parsley, Thyme, Sage or whatever herbs you like
METHOD
Wipe mushroom caps with a damp paper towel to remove dirt. Remove and reserve stems, and set mushroom caps on a baking sheet lined with tin foil and set aside. Chop mushroom stems finely and set aside.
In a regular (NOT NON-STICK) skillet, brown sausage and break up with a fork to create a very fine crumble of meat. When cooked, remove from the pan onto a plate to cool. In the SAME skillet (DON’T WASH IT!) dump in the finely diced onions and minced garlic and cook, stirring, for several minutes to “sweat”. Then add about 1/3 Cup of white wine and stir to release all the delicious brown bits (a.k.a. FOND) from the skillet. Stir until the “winey” smell is gone. (That’s when you know the alcohol has evaporated.) Then add the finely diced mushroom stems and cook for several minutes until any liquid in the stems is released and evaporated. Remove this mixture to a plate to cool.
In a bowl, combine the block of cream cheese and the egg yolk. Then stir in the Parmesan cheese and combine well. Then add in the sausage and the onion mixtures, salt and pepper, and whatever fresh herbs you want. Stir to combine. REFRIGERATE for a few minutes to firm up the filling…if you have time. (I stuck my bowl in the FREEZER for 15 minutes.)
Then, using a teaspoon, fill each mushroom cap with a heaping “glob” and bake at 350-375 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Serve warm…or even good at room temperature. (I LOVE appetizers that don’t require trips back and forth to the oven during a party or cocktail hour!)
FRIENDS AND FOOD…A Winter of Memories…
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