Appetizers, like preseason football, are great beginnings and whet our appetite for what’s to come. Rookie quarterbacks and questionable player trades stir conversation, but football party food wouldn’t be complete without appetizers to munch on while we anticipate kick-off. These Crab Stuffed Mushrooms and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms recipes are sure to satisfy any appetite-man-sized or otherwise. Preseason begins in just a few weeks, so now is the time to plan to feed the crowds that gather.
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
24 large button mushrooms
1 cup flaked crab, canned or fresh works fine
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup green onions, minced
1/8 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoons butter
1. Wash mushrooms, remove stems, and set caps aside.
2. Mix cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, basil, garlic powder, onions, and lemon pepper until well blended. Fold in crab.
3. Fill mushroom caps with the crab mixture and place in a buttered baking dish. Top with the parmesan cheese. (If the mushrooms caps are too rounded to sit straight, slice a small amount off the top of the cap to create a flat surface).
4. Bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes and serve warm.
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Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
1 1/2 pounds large crimini mushrooms (Portobello mushrooms work too)
8 ounces hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup bell peppers, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Paul Prudhomme’s Meat Magic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400°
Wash mushrooms and remove stems. Finely chop stems and reserve 1 cup. Cook the sausages in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add 2 tablespoons of oil with the onions, bell peppers, celery, and reserved mushroom stems to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and mix in sausage.
Transfer the sausage-vegetable mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, paprika, and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Pulse until the stuffing comes together, about 30 seconds.
Fill each mushroom cap with enough stuffing to fill the cap and form a dome. (If the mushrooms caps are too rounded to sit straight, slice a small amount off the top of the cap to create a flat surface.) Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet brushed with olive oil. Brush additional olive oil on the sides of the mushrooms.
Bake the mushrooms until browned and tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Both of these recipes can be prepared in advance, covered, and refrigerated overnight. Bake and serve warm.
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-mushrooms-rimagefree798556-resi2437745
http://www.photoxpress.com/stock-photos/eat/brown/chestnut/1564788
http://www.nfl.com/schedules
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/agaricus_bisporus.html
http://www.foodsubs.com/Mushroom.html
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Produce-638/portobello.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmigiano-Reggiano
http://www.chefpaul.com/site.php?pageID=366&iteminfo=1&productID=160
