Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 24 baby bella mushrooms (larger sized, about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2" in diameter; sub with white button mushrooms)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 1 lb. Italian sausage (casings removed)
• 1 large shallot (chopped fine)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian flat leaf parsley (plus more for serving, optional)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (regular or gluten-free)

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean mushrooms: Gently clean the mushroom caps with a slightly damp paper towel, then cut off the tough end of the stems. Gently remove the stems, then chop them finely and set aside.

2. 2

   Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the mushrooms cap side down in a baking dish.

3. 3

   Cook Italian sausage: Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and break up into small pieces. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Drain any excess grease and place the sausage in a bowl. If there are any large pieces, break them up with your fingers when they're cool enough to handle.

4. 4

   Cook aromatics: In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems and shallot and cook until softened and the liquid from the stems have evaporated, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. Place in the bowl with the sausage.

5. 5

   Combine filling: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese with the lemon zest and juice, then stir in the parmesan cheese. Add the sausage mixture and the parsley to the cream cheese mixture and stir well to combine.

6. 6

   Prepare breadcrumbs: Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl. Add the breadcrumbs along with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir to combine.

7. 7

   Stuff mushrooms: Using a teaspoon, pack a teaspoon of the filling into each mushroom, then mound another teaspoon or so on top, patting it down so that it's compact. All of the filling should be gone...it's ok to pile on a bit more.

8. 8

   Bake mushrooms: Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top, patting them gently into the filling. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms release some of their moisture and the tops have browned. If the breadcrumbs have not browned enough, turn on the broiler and broil them for 1 minute or until golden. Remove from heat.

9. 9

   Serve: Place the mushrooms on a serving platter and sprinkle with additional chopped parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!