Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Last night, I had a friend of mine (Bill) over to try three appetizers that I had recently seen in the May 2010 issue of Every Day with Rachel Ray. I am only posting one of the recipes - because the other two did not meet our expectations. I will work on those and hopefully post my version at a later date. (page 89 - recipe by Michael Cohen)

Everyday With Rachael Ray

I did make a few changes (very slight changes) and they are noted in red. So you can choose to make the original recipe or follow my lead - I added red pepper flakes as I like things a bit spicy...so you decide.  They were Delicious!  I had not really done that much with Fontina Cheese - Now I am a FAN!!!

So for the overall experiement - 1 out of 3 ain't bad!

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

1 ½ Tbsp – EVOO
24 – Mushrooms (Cremini, White, Baby Bella – any combination)
(about 1 poung), stems finely chopped and caps reserved
Salt and Pepper
6 Ounces – Sweet Italian Bulk Sausage
5 Cloves – Garlic, finely chopped
2 Ounces – Fontina Cheese, shredded
¾ Cup – Arugula, finely chopped
1 Tsp – Red Pepper Flakes

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes; season with salt. Add the sausage and garlic, breaking up the meat, and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add Pepper Flakes and cook an additional minute or two.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add three-quarters of the cheese and arugula; season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture among the mushroom caps and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake until the caps are softend, 12 to 14 minutes. (I baked for 15 minutes).

Top with the remaining Arugula.

Makes 24 mushroom caps, prep time is approximately 20 minutes and the cooking time is approximately 30 minutes.