Recipe of the Week: Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I actually already put this recipe up once, over on my cooking blog. It's just so yummy I have to post it again. I really want to climb up on the rooftops and shout it out loud.  I want to share it with everyone.  Make it this weekend; it's a fabulous sunday dish (even Reid gobbled it up, he almost ate an entire half when we had "leftover lunch" on Monday).

I originally found it over on Pioneer Woman's blog.  Did you know she is starting a show on Food Network now?  I can't wait to check it out.  However, she got the recipe from a guest blogger.  If there is one thing I've learned from the recipe blog world it is that everyone steals everyone's recipes.  So I feel totally legit doing the same.

Anyway, the recipe, as I follow it:

• 6-8 whole Portobello Mushroom Caps
• Olive Oil
• ½ pounds Bulk Italian Sausage, Or Links With Casings Removed
• 2 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 whole Onion
• 1 bulb Fresh Fennel
• 1 whole Bell Pepper, Any Color
• 3 stalks Celery, With Leaves
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 3 sprigs Rosemary
• ¾ cups White Wine (can Substitute Stock/broth)
• ½ cups Shredded Monterey Jack, Plus Extra For Sprinkling
• 4 slices Good Sandwich Bread, Toasted And Cubed
• 1 whole Egg, Lightly Beaten

1. Start by dicing up all those veggies.  Put them in a medium sized mixing bowl as you go.
2.  Preheat oven to 450F.  Drizzle enough olive oil in the bottom of a glass baking dish to coat (if using 8 caps you will need two baking dishes, I use a standard casserole dish plus a bread loaf dish for the extra 2).
3.  Start heating up a large skillet with a little bit of olive oil, over medium high heat.  Brown the sausage with the crushed red pepper.
4.  While the sausage is browning, wipe the portobellos clean with a damp paper towel and scrape out the gills with a spoon. Place portobello caps in the baking dish, top down, drizzle with oil, and set aside.
5. Add the veggies and garlic and rosemary to the skillet and saute with the sausage until crisp-tender, about 5 -7 minutes. (This is usually when I start toasting and cubing the bread)
6. Add the stock to deglaze the pan and allow to cook for another 5 minutes or so.
7. Stir in one handful of cheese and the bread cubes. The bread cubes should soak up whatever stock remains in the pan.
8. Taste it at this point, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in the beaten egg (this helps hold the mixture together, for easier stuffing). The stuffing mixture should seem a little wet.
9. Mound stuffing mixture into portobello caps. It’s ok to pack it down a little bit to make sure that it stays in place.
10. Sprinkle each cap with a little extra shredded cheese. Bake at 450F for 25 minutes, or until the portobello is tender and the stuffing is golden brown.

I don't have any pictures, unlike Pioneer Woman I'm not quick enough in the kitchen to stop at each step and snap a photo. Even if you are not a visual learner, I'd recommend following the link I posted above to see how she does each step.

I've made this so many times since we first tried it.  The flavors really are divine.  It's a time consuming dish (unless you are a kitchen pro) but nothing an amateur chef can't do.

  
Okay, I decided to steal her picture of the finale.  I really want you to drool over this, because you will not regret trying it.