Sunday, January 1, 2012

Baked 'Shrooms

Last night we had a lovely New Year's Eve dinner by candlelight (the kids think eating in the dark is truly exciting).  In the spirit of how we used to do New Year's Eve when I was a kid, we had a dinner of finger-food appetizers.  Stuffed mushrooms sounded like a more grown-up option to go with our little smokies wrapped in crescent rolls for the kids.  I ended up creating a great recipe for stuffed mushrooms so I thought I'd pass it along.
Cream Cheese Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
12 Large White Mushrooms
6 oz. Whipped Cream Cheese (because it's softer and lighter)
1 Tbls Cream or Milk
1/4 cup Crab meat
1/4 cup green onions chopped small, use some of the greens - it's about 5 green onions
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese + some for the tops

1. De-stem the mushrooms and set them in an oven-safe dish.  They are going to release some juice, so if it's a cookie sheet, make sure it has sides.  I used a small stone.
2. In a bowl, combine all the rest of the ingredients until well-mixed.
3. Using a small spoon (like a baby spoon if you have one hanging around), fill each mushroom evenly, be generous so that all the filling is used between the 12 mushrooms.
4. Top with parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes until the cheese starts to brown.
6. I would recommend serving these in a dish lined with a towel since they tend to let off more liquid after they get out of the oven.  Not the end of the world, just a little messy.
These were SO good, but also quite rich.  Unless you are a person who can handle lots of really rich food, I doubt anyone would eat more than about two of these, so plan accordingly.

11 comments:

  1. These look delicious!

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  2. Two? Really? C'mon :)

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  3. Doing these for thanksgiving appetizer

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  4. Think you could make ahead and then freeze before baking?

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    1. I have no idea how mushrooms freeze. If they suck in moisture in the freezer like rice or noodles, then it could be a really bad idea. I would say it calls for careful experimentation. Good luck!

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  5. Hi... Did you use fresh or canned crabmeat? Thanks!

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    1. Fresh! Always fresh! (But I am from the Pacific Northwest where we take our seafood seriously!)

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  6. I usually cook my mushrooms in oven for about 15 min. prior filling with cap side up with just a little olive oil drizzle on top. Then drain off liquid and cool. Then fill. Refrigerate to harden cream cheese some. When ready put in oven for the 15 min. before party.

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  7. Do you have nutritional breakdown???

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