Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Thanksgiving is like the Super Bowl for foodies. I especially love it because the Food Network devotes A LOT of time to the holiday.

These mushrooms were on Barefoot Contessa on Saturday. I was not by the tv, so I set my trusty DVR to record the show. After seeing this recipe, I was drooling. I had to have them. We already had plans for Saturday night, so I made them Sunday night.

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

You can't doubt Ina Garten. You just can't. If you love stuffed mushrooms (as I do), make these. The filling can feed an army, so be sure to have a lot of mushrooms on hand. Her original recipe calls for mascarpone cheese, but I have a really hard time finding that in this town, so I substituted with cream cheese.

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms
Adapted from Ina Garten

16 extra-large white mushrooms
5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 garlic cloves minced
2/3 cup panko crumbs
5 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of 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 and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the cream cheese and continue cooking until the cream cheese has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

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