My grandma used to make a big spread of appetizers every holiday, and I always requested her stuffed mushrooms. The original recipe calls for breadcrumbs, so this is an adaptation, but don’t worry—the tops of these get crispy even without the grains.
PREP TIME
20 minutes
COOKING TIME
30 minutes
YIELD
3-4 entree-sized portions / 12 mushrooms
1 dozen baby Portobello
mushroom caps, cleaned
1 tablespoon bacon fat
(or other cooking fat)
1/4 cup bell pepper, minced
1/4 cup yellow onion, minced
1 lb ground pork sausage (use ground pork plus Italian Sausage blend)
2 cups spinach, finely chopped or processed
1 clove garlic, grated
CHANGE IT UP
Substitute ground turkey for the pork. Stuff 4 large Portobello caps instead of 12 baby mushrooms.
NIGHTSHADE FREE?
Leave out the bell peppers.
NUTS
EGGS
NIGHTSHADES
FODMAPS
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet with the “cup” side facing down, and bake for 10 minutes or just enough to allow some of the moisture to release from the mushrooms. Do this before or while you prepare the filling mixture.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the bacon fat, and place the bell peppers and yellow onions in the pan, sautéing until the onions are clear and soft. Add the sausage to the pan, and cook it until little or no pink meat remains (approximately 5 minutes), stirring occasionally to break up any large chunks of meat.
Add the spinach and garlic, and combine together in the pan. Spoon the mixture into each of the mushroom caps, and place them back onto the baking sheet.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.
