Appetizers: Page One

Stuffed Mushrooms

• 10 oz spinach, stalks removed
• 14 oz medium mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp butter + 2 Tbsp for brushing
• 1 oz bacon, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 5 Tbsp double cream
• 4 Tbsp grated Cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbsp fresh bread crumbs
• salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• fresh parsley, to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 (F). Place washed and undried spinach into a saucepan and cook at medium-low until wilted, stirring occasionally. Butter a baking dish and set aside.
2. When wilted, place the spinach in a collander and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible, to prevent the stuffing mixture from being too soggy. Finely chop the spinach. Take the stalks off of the mushrooms and finely chop them as well.
3. Chop the onion and the bacon. In a medium skillet, place 2 Tbsp of butter until melted. Add the onion, bacon, and mushroom stalks and saute for around 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach, cook for around 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Brush the mushroom caps with melted butter, then place them in the buttered baking dish, gills side up. in a single layer. If desired, previous to brushing the caps, you may remove the gills from the mushroom caps.
5. Divide the spinach mixture among the mushrooms. Mix the cheese and the bread crumbs together and sprinkle the mixture over the mushrooms. Bake for about 20 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Serve warm and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4.