spinach & bacon stuffed mushrooms

I LOVE stuffed mushrooms.  Seriously, I could eat them everyday.  I've long been on the lookout for a go-to recipe, and I hit the jackpot when I found this one!  Mushrooms alone are one of my favorites, but mushrooms stuffed with other favorite foods....score!!

These are full of flavor, even without the load of cream cheese contained in several recipes, and healthy enough to count as a vegetable.  They are perfect as an appetizer, served on the side, or easily made into a meal when served with a salad or soup (french onion soup would be perfect!) You can make the filling ahead of time and leave in the fridge, and/or go ahead and stuff the mushrooms and leave them covered in the fridge, so all you have to do is pop them in the oven to bake.  Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!



spinach & bacon stuffed mushrooms

1- 14 oz package or 2- 8 oz packages of fresh button mushrooms, stems removed
4 slices center cut bacon
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups fresh baby spinach
2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1-2 tsps olive oil or cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove stems from mushrooms and mince fine.  Make sure you get the whole stem out so that you'll have a hole for the stuffing, but be careful to keep the top of the mushroom in tact.

Heat a medium sized skillet over low-medium heat.  Add bacon strips and cook until both sides are done to your liking.  Set bacon aside on a paper towel to cool, then chop.   Drain most of the bacon fat into a cup or bowl and reserve enough to the coat the skillet.

Add minced mushroom stems to the heated skillet and saute.  After a minute or two, add the minced garlic and saute for another minute or two, then add the spinach, and cook until it's wilted, a couple more minutes.

Remove pan from heat, and add chopped bacon.  Stir in parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fill mushrooms with spinach mixture, rounding out the tops.  Using your fingers works best.  Place mushrooms on an oven safe dish, lined with foil.   Brush the tops lightly with olive oil or spray with cooking spray.  Bake 20 minutes or until golden.