Tis the season for holiday office parties, open houses and potlucks. And that means food, people. Food, food, and more food! While cookies are usually the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Holiday treats, there’s more to party eats than that. After all, man (or woman) cannot live by cookies alone. We need more substantial noshes to soak up all that free-flowing mulled wine, hot buttered rum and bubbly. We need Cheesy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.
Stuffed mushrooms have been a staple in cocktail party cuisine at least since the early part of the 20th century. For one thing, they are the perfect little self-contained, bite-sized party food package. This is a highly desirable trait in a canapé. The fact that you can just pluck one off of a passing tray practically guarantees that you won’t starve as you navigate the room while juggling your cocktail, handbag and smartphone. For another thing, mushrooms are culinary chameleons. They don’t really taste like much on their own. But, they have the ability to soak up the flavors of whatever ingredients they’re paired with and become one with them. They’re also very versatile and cozy up quite well with virtually anything they’re stuffed with. Well, maybe not Swiss buttercream. That probably wouldn’t be good. But hey, you never know…
These Cheesy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms were inspired by a recipe from Ina Garten. With a few exceptions, she makes them very much the same way that my grandmother did. They’re made with Italian sausage, onions, garlic, Marsala wine and three different kinds of cheese. That’s where the “cheesy” part comes in.
So, let’s make some stuffed mushrooms… read more >>
Filed Under: Appetizers, Dips and Small Bites, Cooking, Holiday Dishes, Italian, Pork, Recipes