A fairly basic stuffed mushroom recipe, but one that became an instant hit. The cream cheese adds richness.
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 lb breakfast sausage, preferably hot
1 C pine nuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
2 lbs button mushrooms, large
3 large shallots, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil or butter to saute
Panko breadcrumbs, optional
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and mince them (the stems, not the mushroom caps!). Saute the shallots, garlic, and mushroom stems over medium high until thoroughly cooked. Mix together everything except the mushroom caps and the panko, then fill the caps with a ball of filling each, enough to mound up out of the mushroom. Sprinkle the tops with panko if using, and bake for 30-35 minutes until browning on top and the sausage is done.
