Blue Cheese & Hazelnut-Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms are a party food classic. Here they're reborn with sassy blue cheese and toasty hazelnuts. Sprinkle the greased baking pan lightly with salt and pepper before placing themushroom caps on the pan to season the bottoms of the mushrooms.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 30 mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1  lb mushroom
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 1⁄4 cup  finely chopped onion
• 2  teaspoons  minced garlic
• 1  teaspoon  minced fresh thyme
• 2  tablespoons dry sherry
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup  cream
• 1  dash Tabasco sauce
• 1⁄4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1⁄4 cup toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup  crumbled blue cheese
• 3  tablespoons  grated parmesan cheese (high quality)
• 2  tablespoons  dry  unseasoned breadcrumbs

Directions

1. REmove the stems of the mushrooms; set the caps aside. Finely chop the mushroom caps.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems and onions, and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add the thyme, sherry, and salt, and cook until the mixture is dry. Add the cream, Tabasco, and Worcestershire. Cook, stirring often, until the cream is reduced and thickened and the liquid is almost cooked out. The mixture should be paste like.
3. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Let it cool to room temperature. when cool, stir in the toasted chopped hazelnuts, blue cheese, Parmesan and bread crumbs.
4. Stuff the mushroom caps, dividing the filling evenly among them. (about 2 tsp per mushroom). Press the filling in well and mound it up.
5. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick vegetable spray or oil it with olive oil. Place the mushrooms, not touching, on the baking sheet. (If desired, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Let come to room temp before baking).
6. Preheat the oven to 400*F. Bake the mushroom caps for about 10 minutes, or until they are just getting tender and lightly browned and the filling is gooey. Serve immediately.