Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
16 extra-large white mushrooms, caps and stems separated
5 tablesppons good olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium-dry sherry
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (6 scallions)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
5 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Directions
Heat oven to 325 F.
Trim the mushroom stems and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the Marsala. Set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine with the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan and parsley and season to taste. Cool slightly.
Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold them all in a single layer. Bake for 50 minutes, until the -stuffing is browned and crusty.
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About My Favorite Recipe
For anyone whose family is like mine... stuffing is a requirement on the Thanksgiving menu because it's traditional, but hardly anybody eats it. And absolutely nobody wants the leftovers. I've tried so many different stuffing recipes to try to make something truly appetizing, but had never found anything that was an actual hit. Until the Barefoot Contessa introduced these stuffed mushrooms into my life. They're still essentially stuffing, so tradition is respected, but everybody loves them. They travel and reheat well, don't take up much space, and are fantastic as leftovers. Tip: I always double or triple the breadcrumbs because the sausage and cheese make the stuffing too dense and rich for my taste. The consistency of the stuffing doesn't change a whole lot during baking, so you can just eyeball it as you mix in the breadcrumbs to your preferred consistency. Doubling or tripling the breadcrumbs also makes a lot more stuffing. So you can do more mushrooms with it, or, what I do is put the extra into a small baking dish and bake it separately, alongside the mushrooms. The stuffing is great on its own, and baking some separately will pacify any mushroom-hating stuffing lovers in your crowd. Just don't tell them there are mushroom stems in the stuffing! Assuming they don't have allergies. Are mushroom allergies a thing? For my mushroom hater, the mushroom bits are virtually indistinguishable from the sausage. Perhaps extra mushrooms, olive oil, and seasonings could replace the sausage for a veggie alternative.
Sarah Miller
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