So we’ve been eating mushrooms like two crazy people eating mushrooms, but I’ll get into that in a moment. Stuffed mushrooms are a pretty solid appetizer don’t you think? We think so over here, but I often find that the stuffed mushrooms they serve at most restaurants are super boring. In an attempt to eat up as many mushrooms as we can before they start going bad, we decided to stuff a crap ton of them. Wow, they were delicious. I can almost still taste the flavors melting in my mouth. These mushrooms are stuffed with some of our favorite ingredients: chicken sausage, cheese, bread crumbs, red peppers and fresh herbs. They are super meaty and super filling. The great thing about stuffed mushrooms is that they are easy to whip up on the fly. They are the perfect appetizer for your get togethers. They are also the perfect appetizer for two people you really just love the darn things. We paired this recipe with my new FAVORITE brew, and I can’t wait to share it with you guys.
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So let’s talk mushrooms first. Yeah? Ok, so we got a fun little “big” care package of fresh mushrooms from Freshmushrooms.com. Boy, did they not skimp in quantity or quality. I didn’t even know it was possible to ship mushrooms and look as if they were just harvested. Each and every recipe we have used them in this week has been unbelievably satisfying. Also, the buttons were huge! They were perfect stuffing material. If you have yet to check them out, please do. They have any mushroom you could possibly dream of, and their quality can not be beat. Also, they kind of hit close to home since Zach is kind of from the area in which they are located in Pennsylvania, and I grew up just next door in NJ. If you didn’t know, PA is one of the mushroom capitals of … well … the world =).
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A few fun things:
1. Do yourself a favor…USE THE MUFFIN TIN! This is honestly the best way to bake mushrooms (any way you choose to stuff them). You don’t make as much of a mess, and they are just so darn cute.
2. The sky is the limit when it comes to stuffing. You certainly don’t have to use chicken sausage. Hey, you don’t have to use sausage at all! Crab and shrimp are great stuffing material. The veggies all by themselves are good as well!
3. Please allow for your mixture to cool before you add the egg. Don’t worry, you will be baking it, so it will warm up again. If the mixture is too hot, your egg (which is totally necessary to bind everything together) will scramble. You do not want this. Trust me.
We decided to go the Wynkoop route today for our beer pairing because they have just released a SPECTACULAR beer in a CAN! Colorojo is the name of this brew, and it is an imperial red ale. Yes…Imperial…Red…Ale. I have honestly never, ever tasted anything like it in my entire life. It is sweet…yet crisp…yet perfect for summer…yet not too light…yet delicious. It has some hoppy notes, and it’s really the most beautiful beer to look it. It’s a deep, beautiful red. I almost enjoy looking at it as much as I enjoy drinking it! It’s a great beer to pair with this appetizer because of it’s bold flavors, but it’s not so bold that it takes away from the dish. Give it a try. Please. Please. Please.
Have a great afternoon everyone!
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These little bites are the perfect appetizer. Chicken sausage stuffed mushrooms is the way to go if you really want to wow your guests!
Ingredients
- 12 large mushrooms, white button or crimini, cleaned
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound chicken sausage, removed from casing
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 loaf bread, day-old and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 egg
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- salt
- pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sage, chopped
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and grease a muffin tin (12-count). Set aside.
- Remove the stems from your mushrooms and give them a light chop. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the sausage. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through. Add the onion, reserved mushroom stems and red bell pepper and saute until tender; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. At this point, add the chicken broth to the pan to deglaze, and scrape any bits off the bottom. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer until the liquid is almost gone; about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Add the cubed bread and 1 egg. Toss to combine thoroughly. Gently fold in the mozzarella cheese cubes. Add the thyme and sage and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Place you cleaned mushrooms into each mold of the muffin tin. Drizzle with olive oil and scoop about a tablespoon or two of the mixture into each mushroom. Sprinkle the tops with panko bread crumbs and give another drizzle of olive oil over each mushroom.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are just starting to brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes and then serve!
Notes
Hardware: * Cutting Board * Sharp Knife * Muffin Tin * Non-Stick Spray * Large Saute Pan * Wooden Spoon * Measuring Cups * Measuring Spoons * Large Bowl *
