MacKID's Sharable Recipes: Kate's Stuffed Mushrooms

So good, they’ll even impress your Mother-in-law!

By (c) Kate Finlay Zimmerman, Publisher, Macaroni KID Pasadena December 14, 2023

Image Credit: (c) Kate Finlay Zimmerman, 2023

	Kate’s Stuffed Mushrooms
	So good, they’ll even impress your Mother-in-law!

	This recipe, which I’ve worked to refine for over a decade, has become my go-to side dish for any formal dinner. Even those who swear they don’t like fungi will make an exception for this dish. Though it centers on mushrooms, the hearty baby portobellos give it robust, meaty texture.

	Ingredients: 16 to 24 oz of Baby Portobello Mushrooms 6 Tbsp butter 1 small Sweet Onion 4 to 5 cloves of Garlic 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste 1 to 1.5 cups of Panko ½ cup of Bacon chunks 1/2 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

	Instructions: 1. Wash mushrooms, pop off stems and remove the ring / veil. Set stems aside. 2. Melt ½ the butter and brush the inside of the pan as well as the mushroom cap tops with it. Place the mushroom caps top side down in the pan. It is helpful to use one larger serving pan and a second, smaller pan. 3. In a food processor, chop mushroom stems to a course consistency and set aside. Next, process the garlic and scrape the garlic bits into a sauté pan. Finally, process the onions to a consistency somewhat finer than the mushroom stems. The onions should be more watery than the other items processed.
	4. Add the remaining melted butter to the sauté pan with the garlic and cook through on medium – low heat. Add the onion (and onion juice) and cook until they become translucent, and the aroma mellows. Add the chopped mushroom stems, pepper, tomato paste, and rest of the butter, mixing thoroughly with the garlic and onion. 5. Once the mushroom stems are soft, add the bacon and panko and continue stirring. If the mixture seems dry, add extra butter. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
	6. Using two spoons, fill each mushroom cap, pressing the mixture down into the caps.Roast or bake at 350 degrees until the mushroom caps are cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven. 7. Mushrooms shrink when cooked, so there should be more space between each stuffed mushroom than before roasting. With a spoon, lift each of the stuffed mushrooms out of the smaller pan and nestle between the stuffed mushrooms in the larger pan. Sprinkle a little extra parmesan cheese over the top if desired and serve warm.