Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms
An easy appetizer, perfect for a casual dinner party.
There's no party food quite like stuffed mushrooms. Easy to make and pass around as an appetizer, these Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms are always a popular dish.
Last year, during my family's monthly Pizza Night, I noticed my 7-year old daughter studiously picking the mushrooms off her slice of pizza. That's weird, I thought, she was the one that requested mushroom pizza. But, rather than cast them aside, she actually piled them up, put the mozzarella on top, and happily scooped the mushy wad into her mouth. Responding to my started look, she said (mouth full) "I don't like the dough."
Well. That got me thinking about party food recipes: The next time we had guests over for a dinner party, I made stuffed mushrooms a la Emily. Or, as she calls them, Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms.
Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms are better for the casual dinner party, rather than the boss-is-coming-over-for-dinner-and-judgements. They're a simple, easy to make appetizer, and the ingredients are probably in your kitchen already.
Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe:
- 12-18 large fresh mushrooms
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (prepackaged is fine)
- 8 oz Italian tomato sauce (I like Rao's, but use your own favorite brand)
- 6 oz Italian bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp finely chopped white onion
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano
- 2 oz olive oil
- 2 oz fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- pinch of salt (to taste)
Remove stems from mushroom caps. Brush mushroom caps lightly with olive oil. In a bowl, combine mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, Italian bread crumbs, chopped onion, oregano and salt. Stuff into mushroom caps, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
Place mushrooms on baking sheets, and bake at 375 for approx. 15-20 minutes. Cool, and serve.
Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms are easily adaptable - what do you like on your pizza? It will likely work well in this appetizer as well. I've tried adding chopped green peppers to the mushroom stuffing, for example, and it tasted a lot like a pizza with mushrooms and peppers. Easy, and perfect - especially if you "don't like the dough."
Related, on Suite 101:
Copyright Jennifer Miner and Suite 101. All rights reserved.
