Stuffed Mushrooms With Sausage and Some Kick

My mother-in-law gave me a recipe that I had tried way back at the beginning of the marriage. I did a little Emeril and kicked it up a notch! You can too--just use hot sausage instead of regular and add more pepper! Use the jumbo stuffing mushrooms!

• Ready In: 14 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1  lb sausage (i use jimmy dean)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1⁄2 cup  shredded parmesan cheese (not grated!)
• 1  teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (cut in half)
• 16  large mushrooms

Directions

1. Brown crumbled sausage in heavy skillet over medium heat until throughly cooked.
2. Meanwhile wash and remove stems from mushrooms pat dry with paper towels all over (inside too).
3. Drain very well and place in large bowl.
4. Add cream cheese while meat is still hot, and mash together with a fork.
5. Add garlic powder and 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper.
6. Taste and add a little more pepper at a time until desired taste.
7. Add parmesan cheese and mash until mixed well.
8. Taste and adjust flavors accordingly.
9. Stuff mushrooms by spoonfuls and pack down stuff just until even with top of mushroom until all are stuffed and then add any remaining stuffing to each mushroom.
10. Refrigerate until ready to use.
11. To cook: Place on paper towel (to absorb water from mushrooms) on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high a few mushrooms at a time for 1 minute at a time, checking after each minute to see if the mushrooms are cooked and heated through (i.e., one mushroom alone would take 1 1/2-2 minutes).
12. Enjoy!