Stuffed Mushrooms

I’ve found mushrooms to be a polarizing food. People either love them or hate them enough to insist on calling them a fungus every chance they get (hi, husband!). I bet you can guess which camp I fall into. If not, let me just tell you that I drooled all over my keyboard when I found this recipe.

Some folks prefer their mushroom caps stuffed with fancy ingredients like crab or sausage, but I have found that I like them best when they are filled with, well, more mushrooms. The recipe listed below is a very basic filling of chopped mushrooms bound together with a savory cheese mixture. Simple, festive, and delicious. Make them for your next fancy dinner (just make sure you’re not entertaining mushroom haters).

Stuffed Mushrooms

16 oz. whole white button mushrooms
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon oregano powder
½ clove garlic, finely minced
¼ cup grated parmesan (the stuff in the green can)
2 ½ tablespoons milk

1) Wipe any visible dirt from mushrooms with a towel (or if you are a clean freak you can rinse them with cold water- just be sure to dry them afterwards).
2) Separate stems from mushroom caps
3) Chop stems into small pieces
4) Combine cream cheese, oregano powder, garlic, parmesan, and milk until you have a smooth, homogenous mixture.
5) Stir in mushroom stem pieces
6) Using a teaspoon, spoon filling into each mushroom cap.
7) Sprinkle with a little more parmesan, and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. These suckers need to be eaten while they are still warm, so either serve them straight out of the oven or keep in a heated dish.