If I were to create my own utopian society, I’d start with appetizers. You’d kind of have to start with appetizers, I guess, right? Since that’s kind of the point of appetizers and all. I would be perfectly happy eating nothing but apps and snacks for the rest of my life. Picture it – cheese and crackers. Chips and guacamole. Adorable tiny toothpick skewers, spearing anything you can imagine. Tomato, basil and mozzarella? Sure. Olives and mini tortellini? Hell, yes. And just think of all the things you could wrap in puff pastry or stuff into phyllo cups.
I don’t think I’d have much trouble convincing people to move there with me. An ample supply of crudité oil would allow us to flourish and spread the wealth without dipping into our preserves, and our immigration policy would allow all who desired to crostini our borders.
I just need to name it. The United States of App-erica? Ant-start-ica?
Whatever the name ends up being, the national dish just might be these stuffed mushrooms. They’re easy and loaded with flavor – the mushroom stems in the filling lend depth, while almonds offer a bit of bite. Thyme and sherry round out the hearty filling, and a sprinkle of Gruyère cheese on top is pleasingly browned in a hot oven for the perfect finish. I’ve already owned up to wanting to eat apps for pretty much all of my sustenance, but even if that’s not you, piling a few extra of these on your plate gets you a satisfying, filling, and reasonably healthy meal. If you’re reading this and thinking, “This can’t possibly stand up as a meal,” I assure you, yes it canapé.*
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 12 large cremini or white "stuffer" mushrooms with stems
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp salt
- Several grinds fresh black pepper
- 1 Tbsp dry sherry
- 1 Tbsp cold butter
- ¼ cup Gruyère cheese, grated
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oiled tinfoil.
- Wipe mushrooms thoroughly with a slightly damp paper towel. Remove stems - do not discard. Set mushrooms on baking sheet, hollow side up.
- Chop stems finely. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add stems and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat.
- Let cool for about ten minutes, then transfer mixture to the bowl of a food processor or blender and add almonds, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, sherry and butter. Pulse for about 30 seconds, until everything is very finely chopped and mixture resembles a thick paste.
- Fill each mushroom with about a tablespoon of the mixture and top each with Gruyère. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Garnish with more parsley and serve immediately, while still warm.
*I sincerely app-ologize for the sheer volume of terrible puns in this post.
Sign me up, can’t wait to catch a flight to your delicious new land!