They Were Sooo Good!

They say the common white button mushroom is an antioxidant for anti aging, fights diseases like cancer and cellular destruction, and other diseases. At one time, however, the mushroom was thought to be relatively poor in providing nutrition to the body. Whether they help in fighting diseases or not...I am a big fan. This type mushroom is the most popular one in the market. Now you can find all kinds of mushrooms ...another favorite of mine is the Portobello. I love it stuffed, grilled any way you fix it. I made these for us to enjoy while watching the "Oscars" last night and they turned out to be so good, that I thought I would put the recipe down here...so I could find it easily. I bought a package of 20-24 mushrooms. Cleaned them by rubbing with a damp paper towel and then took the stems out. I sliced a thinnish slice off the top of the mushroom to make it hold more stuffing. I finely minced the stems and that sliver that I removed. I took a box of chicken stuffing mix (yes I used a time saving ready made) and put a stick of butter and 1 1/2 c boiling water in a pan and mixed it well. I added the chopped stems. Put the top on the pan and let it sit for about 10 min. I then added 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese to it ....there that's ready to go...just let it sit. I took a roll of hot Italian sausage and browned it in a skillet. I broke it up into very fine pieces. When it was browned, I added it to the stuffing mixture. Mine wasn't spicy enough, so I added some cayenne..a couple of shakes. I took spoonfuls of the stuffing and placed it on the mushrooms, which had been placed in an ovenproof pan.


This corning ware dish works out well. It holds all the mushrooms and keeps them from tipping over...a 10 in. pie dish would work too.
I topped each mushroom with a square of mozzarella cheese. All ready to pop into the oven. This can be done way ahead of time. Just keep it covered with plastic wrap in the frig.

Time to bake....350 for about 1/2 hr. You have to watch so the cheese doesn't burn at the end of cooking time. Joe liked the brown ones and I liked the not so brown. They were really yummy. They were accompanied by a plate of carrots, celery, black and huge stuffed olives, English cucumbers, and and individual bowls of a homemade ranch dressing. We have some mushrooms leftover for lunch today.

The Academy Awards show wasn't as good as in the past...for me anyway. The clothes and hairdos were beautiful. Sandra Bullock was the winner. She was my 2nd choice...We'll have to see her movie and also "Hurt Locker"..the best movie. That one, I will rent this weekend. All in all a nice evening...something different and entertaining to watch, and some treats to enjoy. We usually have popcorn, but last night was special.

Balisha