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.
This recipe also contains one of our Balanced Bites Spice Blends - ITALIAN Spice Blend - which you can shop here!
Ingredients
- 1 dozen baby portobello mushroom caps, cleaned
- 1 tablespoon bacon fat or other cooking fat of choice
- 1/4 cup minced red bell peppers
- 1/4 cup minced yellow onions
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, or 1 pound ground pork combined with 2 tablespoons ITALIAN Spice Blend
- 2 cups spinach, minced
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the mushrooms on a rimmed baking sheet with the “cup” sides facing down and bake for 10 minutes, or just enough to release some of the moisture. Do this before or while you prepare the filling mixture.
Make the filling: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the bacon fat, then add the bell peppers and yellow onions and sauté until the onions are translucent and soft. Add the sausage and cook it until little or no pink remains (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally to break up any large chunks of meat. Add the spinach and garlic to the pan and stir to combine.
Turn the mushrooms “cup” side up and fill them with the sausage mixture. Place them back in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Notes
NIGHTSHADE-FREE?
Leave out the bell peppers.
CHANGE IT UP
Substitute ground turkey for the pork. Stuff 4 large portobello caps instead of 12 baby mushrooms.
Time Saving Tip
To save time, mince the bell peppers and onions in a food processor before sautéing them, then use the food processor to chop the spinach.