Stuffed Mushrooms W. Cream Cheese & Sausage

Lissa Sprenne's Note:

I first had these back in high school - too many years ago to think about now. I've been making them ever since. Now, whenever any of my friends have a get-together, I'm expected to bring them! You've been warned!! They're addictive.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 (12 ounce) packages white button mushrooms , cap size doesn't really matter
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package sausage
• ¼ cup butter (melted, quite optional!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
2. Separate caps and stems while cleaning the mushrooms.
3. If cleaning with water, let them drain for a bit.
4. Start cooking the sausage in frying pan, at a medium to medium/high temperature.
5. While the sausage is cooking, put the cream cheese into a mixing bowl so it can soften and mince the stem pieces.
6. Spice the sausage to taste. Garlic is a good addition.
7. Just before the sausage is done, add the stem pieces and finish cooking.
8. Drain off the excess grease and add the sausage/stem mixture into the cream cheese.
9. Mix together well using a wooden spoon or your hands. Be careful, as it will be rather hot.
10. Set the caps into a 13x9 pan (or larger) with sides.
11. Optional! Melt enough butter to just put a little in the bottom of each cap or just brush some over the top of each after they're filled. You can put any extra butter in the bottom of the pan.
12. Fill the caps with the cream cheese/sausage/stem mix.
13. Add a small amount of water to the bottom of the pan, just enough to cover the bottom.
14. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the tops are crusty and the mushrooms have turned dark.
15. Scoop them out of the pan with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a plate.
16. Serve warm. They reheat well, so you can make them ahead of time.
17. *VARIATION 1: Add dried bread crumbs to the mix to make a larger batch without adding more cream cheese or sausage. Onions are also another popular addition.
18. *VARIATION 2: Use one 8oz. box of cream cheese to two 8oz. pkgs of sausage. It makes for a larger batch that is less rich and tastes just as good.
19. *FUN HINTS: The cream cheese mix is also very good on bread or crackers! This comes in handy if you you think there might be someone who doesn't like mushrooms - save some of the mix to the side for them to dip with.

Reviews

[Poor College Student Chef]

SO delicious! I love mushrooms, and this simple recipe makes they taste so good! Meaty and juicy on the outside, creamy on the inside. I used sweet apple & honey sausages and that gave them quite a mouthwatering, unique flavor.

The mushrooms shrunk noticeably after they baked, so don't fill too much! Instead of filling the pan a little before baking, I splashed in some white wine. The flavor seems to have coated onto mushrooms, adding yet another delicious layer of flavor. Will definitely experiment with other meats and toppings next time!

[soulever]

I love this and I love you. I made this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving this year, and your suggestions on cooking these with a side in the oven were perfect. I also really appreciated the variations you posted and the thought to serve the spread on crisps for those who dislike mushrooms. That said, this was definitely one of the favorites for the Thanksgiving feast. Not only was it easy to prepare, they were a favorite of my guests. I used baby bella mushrooms instead, but all other ingredients stayed true to your recipe. I thought I'd have difficulty finding sage sausage, but it turns out Jimmy Dean makes a 1 lb, uncased sage sausage. As for the final product... it perfectly captures that rich, savory taste of umami as all of the tastes blend together. Thank you so much for sharing! (Oh they do go incredibly fast!)

[Katanashrp]

Awesome! Super easy and delicious. I used hot turkey sausage and some garlic. Let me tell you: MAKE A LOT because they seem to disappear with the speed of light. Thank you.