Stuffed Mushrooms

This month I am planning on sharing a few more of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

I am not a huge fan of appetizers for Thanksgiving, since I like saving my calories for the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans…. etc. etc. and PIE.

But these stuffed mushrooms are more than worth breaking my no appetizer rule.  They are a family favorite and if I only eat one (or two) little ones…. there will still be plenty of room for my favorite chocolate pecan pie.

This stuffed mushroom recipe is simple, delicious and quick to make.  The filling is cream cheese with minced mushroom stems and shallots.

We love them enough to eat them more than once from Thanksgiving through New Years…

Here’s how I whip up these delicious stuffed mushrooms:

Start with simple ingredients: button mushrooms, a shallot, cream cheese, garlic salt and butter.

Here’s the first key to good stuffed mushrooms:  never wash them with water.  A wipe down with a damp paper towel is the perfect way to clean mushrooms, no matter how you’re using them. If you rinse them under the tap, your stuffed mushroom will come out of the broiler swimming in water.

Using the tip of small knife cut around the stems and remove.  Save the stems!  They will go into the filling.

It’s quick work.

In a small bowl melt the butter and mix in 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt.  Stir to dissolve.

Dip each cap in the butter mixture, coating bottom and sides but be careful to not get butter into the top reservoir.  Line the dipped caps on a cookie sheet or baking pan.  Set aside.

Mince up the mushroom stems.

I like them finely minced.  I’ve tried chopping them up in my food processor and it was a little too heavy handed, plus it’s a good workout to mince them up by hand.

Finely mince the shallot.

Toss them all into a medium bowl with the cream cheese and garlic salt.  I’ve tried substituting a light cream cheese and unfortunately it doesn’t work quite as well.  The filling tends to be runny once cooked.

Use a fork to mix the ingredients and work the stems and shallots into the cheese.

Spoon the filling evenly into the dipped mushroom caps until all the filling is used.

Cook under the broiler on the second shelf from the top until they are golden brown.  My husband likes them just as you see them in the photo above… when the tips are starting to get dark.

Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve warm.

They are really good, but I will warn you once you start eating them, it’s hard to stop.

Here’s the recipe:

Stuffed Mushrooms

• 1 lb. medium white button mushrooms- stemmed, save stems for filling
  
• 1 – 8 oz. package cream cheese – substituting low fat cream cheese makes for runny mushrooms and is not recommended
  
• 1/2 cup finely minced shallots (1/4 – 1/2 cup finely minced onions may substitute)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt – divided use
• 1/4 cup butter

Melt butter and add 1/4 tsp garlic salt.  Stir to dissolve.  Dip stemmed mushroom caps into butter mixture taking care to not get butter into the reservoir.  Place on a cookie sheet and set aside.  Finely mince mushroom stems and shallots.  Add to a mixing bowl with remaining 1/4 tsp. garlic salt.  Mix with softened cream cheese.  Spoon cream cheese mixture into prepared mushrooms caps.  Broil until turning golden brown.

Note: Can be prepared a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator until ready to cook.