Stuffed Mushrooms

A sleepless night had me surfing the Internet, and I stumbled on so many delicious-sounding recipes. We love stuffed mushrooms, and I found this keeper at www.sweetsugarbean.com

Sausage & Asiago Stuffed Mushrooms with Balsamic Glaze

20 large mushrooms, cleaned with damp paper towel, stem removed and saved for later use
2 links Italian sausage
1 tsp dried rosemary OR 2 tsp fresh, finely chopped
1 tsp dried fennel seed
1 onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces (120grams) cream cheese 
3 ounces (90grams) Asiago cheese, grated
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss the mushrooms with the balsamic vinegar and 3 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in a preheated 350* oven for about 30 min.  Stir once or twice.  Remove from oven.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium high heat, squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing  and cook until no longer pink, breaking it apart with the back of a spoon.  You want it fairly crumbly and in small pieces.  Stir in onions and garlic and spices, and cook a few minutes longer, until onion is softened.  (If you find that your sausage filling is too greasy, drain it on paper towel first before adding the cheese.) Remove from heat and place into a bowl, along with the cheeses (save some of the Asiago for topping).  Stir well to combine.   Take a teaspoon and fill each mushroom cap.  Sprinkle with  remaining Asiago.  Bake at 375* for about 30-40 minutes, until golden.  Can easily be doubled if feeding a large crowd.  

The next stuffed mushroom recipe I stumbled across was on www.italianfoodforever.com for Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms. These sound very similar to ones we had while in Des Moines, so I'm hoping to try these out very soon.

Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

6 large mushrooms
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons finely minced onion.
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 red hot chile pepper, minced (optional)
3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
Salt and Pepper
5 Tablespoons freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Olive oil for brushing

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove the stems of the mushrooms and chop them finely.

In a heavy frying pan, heat the olive oil and then add the mushrooms and onion. Cook until softened. Add the garlic and chile pepper, if using, and cook another minute or two.

Allow the mixture to cool and then add the parsley, tomatoes, and ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly oil a baking sheet and place the mushroom caps cut side up. Brush the caps lightly with olive oil and then spoon the filling in.

Sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender when pierced with a knife and the tops are lightly browned.

Serve immediately.