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.

Printable Version

Easy Peasy Fruit Dip

Ok, I promise this is the last picture I take using my phone.

We had a belated boss's day potluck at work today, and I was slated to bring my mac and cheese but then I went and burned my hand on a cookie sheet. (See yesterday's post.) So I had to regroup and think of something that wasn't labor intensive.

A few months ago, my mom got a big group of women together to go to a local place called Dinner with TLC. They provide all of the kitchen equipment, ingredients, and recipes for you to put together your own meals. All you do is put it together (or have them do it) and take it home and reheat! It's awesome and the menus change every month. Anyways, the owner had out this fruit dip and assorted fruits, along with various other appetizers.

Those who know me well would be shocked to know that I actually ate a fruit dip. I'm not a dip-person. Never have been. But oh.my.God this dip was amazing.

I would have taken a better picture of it last night, but I just never got around to it. Also, a big thank you to my fabulous coworker, Rhonda, for arranging the fruit for me! You should make it for yourself and see for yourself how lovely it is!

Fruit Dip
8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag toffee pieces (not the chocolate covered toffee pieces)

Beat cream cheese, sugars, and vanilla in a bowl. Mix in the toffee. Serve with fruit.

Printable version

See? Easy!

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

I need to get off the kick of wrapping things in bacon. However, if loving bacon is wrong, I don't want to be right.

These little beauties are just as wonderful as the bacon wrapped crackers. They're perfect for a tailgating party, which is what I made them for on Saturday. If you are taking them to an actual game, I would make them the night before, wrap them in foil and then reheat them in their foil packet on the grill.

Bacon Wrapped Lil' Smokies

One package of little smokies sausages
One pound bacon
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and the cayenne pepper. Cut bacon into thirds. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil. Spray cooling wrack with non-stick cooking spray. Wrap bacon around the sausage. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture on top. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Printable version

Bacon Wraps

As I said the other day, everything is better with bacon. These appetizers prove it. They might as well be called Crack Sticks. They're that good.

I've made these three times...two last Christmas for different parties and the most recent was this weekend while watching the Razorbacks beat the Aggies. Woohoo! Both times I've made them, people hover over the plate and then all of the crackers magically disappear.

Bacon Wraps
Lovechild of here and here

Club Crackers
Thin sliced bacon
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut bacon in half. Wrap crackers in bacon. Place on cookie sheet that has a cooling rack on top and bake for 30 minutes. Dredge through Parmesan while hot. Allow to cool and crisp, then serve.

Printable version

Bruschetta

When I saw Julie and Julia, I couldn't help but notice the bruschetta that Julia and her husband ate. I hate tomatoes and I was drooling over it! It seems as though I was not alone, and bruschetta has been popping up all over the food blog community.

Again, I absolutely hate tomatoes. Can't stand them. If a spaghetti or pizza sauce is a chunky one, the tomato chunks get pushed to the side of my plate. If we're at an Italian restaurant and they provide bruschetta, Brian always lucks out and gets an extra because I won't touch it.

Well, not anymore.

I'm officially a convert...at least for this dish. Jade and I had been talking about the bruschetta in the movie and she decided to make it. She and I share the same dislike for tomatoes, yet she loved the dish. She provided the courage for me to try it out and I'm so glad I did.

To test it out, I made five. Brian had three and I ate the other two, and we both were wanting more. Yay for tailgating season because it's getting made again on Saturday!

Bruschetta
Source: Jade as adapted from Delish

4 slices of Italian Bread or Baguette cut into 1/2 in thick slices
A variety of tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I used 4 Roma tomatoes to 1 vine ripe tomato)

1 clove of garlic
Basil, chopped
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon butter
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan Cheese
Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:
In a small bowl mix together the chopped tomatoes, basil, 1/2 the extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 the garlic clove, salt and pepper. The basil, salt and pepper will be to your taste. Set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil, garlic and butter to the skillet. Allow the butter to melt. Place the bread in the skillet and allow it to get brown on both sides.

Remove the bread from the skillet. Spoon the tomato basil mixture on top of the 4 slices of bread. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and top with Parmesan cheese.