So Long, Farewell, Stuffed Mushrooms and Goodbye (for now)

Hey, folks--I'm taking a break from the Toy Kitchen because I'm off to sunny California!  Well, it is Northern California, so maybe not so sunny.

And I'll try to post while I'm there, but I don't think I'll be doing much cooking.  I will, however, be doing much lazing, loafing, noshing, wining and cheesing, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, here's the first stuffed mushrooms recipe I ever attempted
many years ago when I bought my first food processor.  The recipe came with the manual and yes, I am one of those weirdos who actually reads the manuals for everything I buy. From cover to cover. I think of it as getting my money's worth.

And in this case, it paid off. Because while most recipes found in manuals tend to be crappy, this one is actually pretty good.  It's not your usual creamy stuffed 'shroom, but it's a meaty and flavorful variation. A nice, toothsome morsel, so to speak.  Fine, I was really just dying to use the word "toothsome," but honest, these are good.

The last time I made them, I couldn't find decent-sized regular mushrooms for stuffing, so I used large portobello caps. Hence the funny-looking photo below. But they were still toothsome.

Enjoy, and hasta la vista, baby!


STUFFED JUMBO MUSHROOMS

Yield 16 to 18 mushrooms (2 to 3 mushrooms per serving).

1 slice firm white or wheat bread, broken in 1-inch pieces

1 shallot, quartered

1 clove garlic

14 oz. Jumbo mushrooms, cleaned

6 oz. Ground sausage

1/2 t. dry mustard

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1-2 T. butter

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Position multipurpose blade in work bowl.  Add bread. Process until finely crumbled, about 5 seconds.  Set aside.  With processor running, add shallot and garlic through feed tube.  Process until finely chopped, about 5 seconds.

Remove stems from mushrooms.  Add stems to work bowl.  Pulse 3 times, about 1 second each time, until finely chopped.

In large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until no longer pink.  Drain well.  Add shallot, garlic and mushroom stems.  Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Add sausage mixture to work bowl.  Add bread crumbs, dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to work bowl.  Process until thoroughly mixed, about 5 seconds.

Melt butter in skillet over medium-low heat.  Add mushroom caps.  Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side, until slightly soft.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Fill with sausage mixture.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Note: I can't believe I found the manual, including the recipe, on the Web!  Here's the link in case you share my manual love.  Hmm. That last part seems to have came out wrong, but you know what I mean.