Looking for an easy, unconventional appetizer to prepare for Thanksgiving? Try Sausage Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms. I love vanilla, yet I’ve never cooked anything besides cookies, pies, and other savory desserts with the ingredient. When I received this recipe in my inbox, I thought sausage and vanilla sounded like a tasty combination. So I gave it a try today using Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste. The results – savory, bite-size mushrooms loaded with flavor. Aside from Thanksgiving, I see this as a perfect appetizer for any time of the year.
Ingredients
- Cremini mushrooms, about 1 pound, stemmed, quickly rinsed and patted dry
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 fl. oz. mild Italian sausage (may substitute with spicy Italian sausage)
- 1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
- 1/3 cup plain panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, add lemon juice and oil; whisk to combine. Add clean mushroom caps and toss to coat; set aside.
In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add sausage, vanilla bean paste, garlic and shallot. Cook and stir until crumbles are done, about 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add Romano cheese, bread crumbs and mascarpone cheese; stir to combine. Remove from heat.
Place mushroom caps in prepared baking dish and reserve remaining lemon-oil mixture in bowl. Fill each mushroom cavity with stuffing mixture and drizzle with reserved lemon-oil. Bake until done, about 10 minutes.
Makes about 24, depending on the size of the mushrooms.
I made 25 (enough to fill my baking dish), and still had enough filling to make another batch.
Nielsen-Massey Vanillas can be purchased at gourmet grocery stores. You can also purchase Nielsen-Massey Vanillas on Amazon.
Disclosure: I received a bottle of Vanilla Bean paste from Nielsen-Massey in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed are my own and I received no further compensation from Nielsen-Massey or their representatives.
