I know what you are probably thinking…”for a girl who never used to like mushrooms, she sure does post a lot of recipes with them!” And you would be right. I fully admit that my taste buds were steered wrong in the past. I was fooled by the strange looks and texture of mushrooms. But, I have smartened up and come around. And I can promise you that this will not be the last recipe that I post that features mushrooms as the main event.
“Bacon” and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Servings: 4 for appetizer or 2 for main dish
Ingredients
EVOO cooking spray
1 16 oz package of whole white mushrooms, stems removed
vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 green bell pepper, diced
black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried sweet basil
1 cup fresh spinach, finely chopped
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup part-skim shredded cheddar cheese
4 pieces vegetarian “bacon” (I used MorningStar Farms) or tempeh “bacon,” cooked and crumbled
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13″ dish with EVOO cooking spray.
2. Line a large saute pan with a thin layer of vegetable broth. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Once hot, lower the heat to medium and saute garlic, onions, and peppers. Cook for approximately 8 minutes, or until softened. Add additional broth, as needed.
3. Lower heat to medium-low. Add spinach and seasonings and cook an additional 3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.
4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in bread crumbs, cheese, and “bacon.”
5. Fill each mushroom with the “bacon” and cheese mixture until all of the mixture is used.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and tender, must not mushy.
Serve your “Bacon” and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms with your favorite side dish.
I served my stuffed mushrooms alongside cooked butternut squash and roasted asparagus. This was definitely one very veggie-filled meal, if I do say so myself! 😉
The crispness of the “bacon” combined with the flavorful seasonings and creamy cheese was absolutely delicious. These stuffed mushrooms made for the perfect entrée, but would also be great appetizers at a party or small gathering.
Oh, and if you insist, you could certainly use turkey bacon in place of the vegetarian “bacon.” But I promise, despite the looks of it, vegetarian “bacon” is quite good!
