Stuffed Mushrooms

Growing up, I refused to eat anything out of the ordinary which meant was usually ate only a peanut butter sandwich, cherrios, ramen, rice, or any non-vegetable my mom would cook.  Mushrooms were definitely in my “don’t even bother” list.  Not on my pizza, mixed in a sauce, or, god forbid, whole!

Life changes when you start trying new things

That changed somewhere in college I think.  Now I put mushrooms in any dish that it might compliment.  One of the dishes that changed my view on mushrooms was one similar to the one I will share with you today.  Some time during my college years, there was a Super Bowl potluck party that I attended.  There, I came across the most delicious stuffed mushroom I had ever eaten…well, the only stuffed mushroom I had eaten up until that point.  But it blew my mind!  The burst of flavor in my mouth as soon as I bit into it was amazing.  Since then, I have been meaning to try making it on my own.  I never really had an occasion to try it out until recently.

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All I knew was that the stuffed mushroom I had tried had ground beef, bell peppers, and cream cheese to hold it together.  I searched online and found one by Pioneer Woman that was similar.  So I modified it in an attempt to recreate the stuffed mushroom I had eaten many years ago…..

Lessons Learned:

  • These are best eaten warm.
  • If you make extra or too little filling, it is pretty easy to redistribute the filling.
  • The mushrooms release a lot of water as they cook, so keep a napkin handy when eating.

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stuffed mushroom_cookcollage

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Stuffed Mushrooms
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 16 oz of baby portabella mushrooms (or white button mushrooms)
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping the mushrooms
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet.
  2. Clean mushrooms and remove and save stems. Finely chopped stems.
  3. Place medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef to skillet and cook until browned. Add chopped mushroom stems, bell peppers, and onions. Cook until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent. Then add the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese to the ground beef mixture. Try breaking up the cream cheese with your spoon to help it melt faster.
  4. When cream cheese has melted thoroughly, take the mixture off of the heat. Use a spoon to stuff the mushroom with the ground beef filling. Make sure to press the filling down to get into the mushroom cavity. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. When all mushrooms are stuffed, place on the parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked and cheese is melted. Let cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!

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