..Stuffed Mushrooms

This appetizer is ALWAYS a huge hit, I promise.  I guess you just can’t go wrong with something that mixes bacon and cream cheese together (if you can’t tell by every food post thus far...all my favorite dishes include cream cheese...I could live off of the stuff).  Even people who claim they don’t like mushrooms like this particular appetizer.  I get asked for this recipe 90% of the time after I make it for a party or bring it to an event.   There are so many variations of a stuffed mushroom but I really enjoy this combo. I seriously suggest you nab a couple before you put them out because they go fast.

I don’t work from any particular recipe, my first experience with this was in college trying to replicate something I had at a restaurant basically from what I assumed was inside, which wasn’t very good.  Since then I have varied/added/scrapped things until I settled on the simple combination below which I think tastes the best (but it can absolutely be altered to your own taste). The photos below show the recipe doubled because I was cooking for a large party.  I recently experimented with a less fattening version that was taste-test approved by friends, so just ask or E-mail me if you would like that variation.  I am happy to provide it :)

Ingredients

2 Packages of Mushrooms (I used regular white but have also experimented with the baby bella’s and they are just as delish).

6 Slices of Bacon (crumbled)

½ Onion (diced)

1 Package Cream Cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Garlic Clove (minced)

½ Cup Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

1. Wipe off (do not run under water) any dirt from the mushrooms with a damp cloth.  Pop out the stems and set aside. This leaves the hole in the middle to stuff. Place all the de-stemmed mushrooms on a tin foiled pan and set aside. Cut off the dirty ends of the stems then mince and set aside.

2. Cook about 6 slices of bacon to a crisp. Place the cooked bacon on a paper towel and let it dry. Crumble or chop the bacon and set aside.  Reserve a couple tablespoons worth of the drippings from the bacon in the pan.

3. Take your diced onion and cook it in one tablespoon of olive oil and the left over bacon drippings (this is the secret to infusing the bacon-y taste throughout!) After they cook for about two minutes, add the chopped up stems and garlic to the pan to cook with the onion until the onion is translucent but not brown (just a few more minutes). Season with salt and pepper.

4. In a large mixing bowl add cream cheese, the hot mushroom/onion mixture, chopped bacon, Parmesan cheese, and blend.  

5. I put the filling into a piping bag for easy stuffing but you can just spoon it into them if you don’t have one.   Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top when you are done stuffing.

6. Set temp to 400 and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the mushrooms turn a darker brown color. YUMMY :)