Spinach and Sausage Overstuffed Mushrooms

Hey, everybody! I’m moving right into that winter vibe lately and that means comfort food! Tonight on the menu: spinach and sausage overstuffed mushrooms. I don’t even know what makes these mushrooms taste so good they’re addicting. Oh, wait. They’re filled with cheese and garlic so that’s definitely it.

This recipe began as an alternative/expansion of my original stuffed mushroom recipe which has pecorino romano cheese, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. I wanted to add some sausage… which led to a lot of cream cheese… and it escalated quickly from there.

 

So I said, “Bree, if you’re going to add that much cheese, you’d better make the cream cheese fat free.” And you know what – it totally works! You can’t even tell it’s fat free. Just my way of enjoying comfort foods while preventing an expanding waist line.

 

This recipe can be served as an appetizer, a side dish, or a main course. If served as an entree, you know what would go well with this? A strawberry salad. I know this because as I was eating dinner I was snaking on strawberries while making Strawberry Hibiscus Kombucha. Yes, I did say “snacking” while also eating dinner… I can’t help who I am.

 

As you’ve probably noticed from the pictures, I also baked some miniature ramekins with the sausage and spinach filling. While preparing dinner tonight I absentmindedly began doubling the recipe before I realized I didn’t have enough mushrooms. Presto! Spinach and sausage bake! Top them with breadcrumbs and moisten with a little butter or vegetable oil. Bake the same as the mushrooms. You’re welcome.

This recipe serves 2-3 entree portions and 5-10 appetizer servings.

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Ingredients:

• 10 large white mushrooms, stems removed and finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup shredded romano cheese
• 4oz fat free cream cheese
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/4 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flake

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º.

Ensure mushroom caps are well hollowed out. Use a spoon to scrape the sides and bottom to form a bowl.

Heat oil in a deep pan over medium high heat and sauté onions until they begin to soften. Add ground pork, thyme, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flake. Cook pork through while breaking up into crumbles. Mix in spinach until it begins to wilt. Stir in cream cheese on low heat until well combined. Place mixture in large bowl. Add diced mushroom stems, breadcrumbs, shredded romano cheese, and minced garlic. Combine together until a tacky mixture is formed. Stuff mushrooms with mixture {should be well overstuffed}. Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy! 😀