Some Stuffed 'Shroom Starters

I love parties. I really really love catered parties. I really really really love catered parties with passed hors d’oeuvres. My hands-down favorite bite-sized starter is the stuffed mushroom. I literally can’t get enough of them. At special events, it’s so hard to maintain a prim and proper appearance when my fingers are twitching, my mouth is watering and my eyes are darting around the room in search of the mushroom girl, zoning in on the door the servers are popping out of, their fully stocked serving platters balanced easily on their upturned palms.

 

So, when I finally catch one emerge, I “run to the bathroom” or “go over to talk to blah blah blah” then ambush the server, attempting to distract him or her with my wit as I rob them of their cheese-filled earthen delights. And, as so often happens when one is fueled with free white wine, my attempt at charm fails to shine through, the server stares at me blank-faced and everyone at the party sees me popping more than my fair share of appetizers into my beak thus igniting a blush on my cheeks that mimics the hue of a third degree sunburn.

But last night, I set myself up with the sweet luxury of open indulgence. I had a bunch of leftover mushrooms and a big ol’ hunk of gorgonzola, so I decided to make myself and my roommate a nice little appetizer. 

First, I cleaned the mushrooms and removed their stems and set the oven to 350 degrees. Then, I threw some butter in a pan and tossed the mushroom tops in for a couple minutes. After they were all evenly coated, put them hole-up on a cookie sheet.

To make the stuffing, I diced some onion and garlic up finely and chopped the stems of the mushroom. After heating up a little bit of oil, I added the onions and let them sweat down until they were translucent. Next I added the mushroom stems, let them soak up some of the oil and added the garlic. I cooked this for a minute or so, then crumbled in the gorgonzola. I turned off the heat but kept the pan on the burner to melt the cheese as I sprinkled in breadcrumbs and drizzled in some hot sauce. When the ingredients were all incorporated, I put a small spoonful in each mushroom and sprinkled with parmesan. They went in the oven for 30 minutes and came out so tasty!

Next time I’ll sprinkle the tops with breadcrumbs because, while the crunch was nice, the saltiness of the parmesan was a little overpowering. But the best part? Mike doesn't love mushrooms, so I got to enjoy a little more than my share :) Mmm!