Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 24 medium cremini mushrooms, stems reserved (680 g)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (14 g)
• 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage (227 g)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion (75 g)
• 2 garlic cloves, grated (6 g)
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (113 g)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (50 g)
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, divided (30 g)
• 2 tablespoons parsley, plus more for serving (8 g)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (2 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (1 g)

Instructions

1. Prepare pan. Heat oven to 400°F with a rack in the upper-middle position. Oil a rimmed sheet pan or line it with parchment. Twist stems from mushrooms, reserve them, and arrange caps cavity-side up. Finely chop usable stems, discarding dry ends.
2. Cook sausage. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, and chopped stems. Cook, breaking sausage into small crumbles, until no pink remains, about seven minutes. Add garlic; cook one minute. Remove from heat and drain obvious excess fat.
3. Make filling. Stir cream cheese, Parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, pepper, and 1/4 cup panko into warm sausage. Mix until cream cheese melts and filling looks evenly combined. If loose, let stand three minutes so crumbs absorb moisture.
4. Fill caps. Spoon one rounded tablespoon filling into each cap. Press gently to settle it without flattening tops. Sprinkle remaining panko evenly over mushrooms, then press crumbs lightly so they stay in place.
5. Bake. Bake sixteen to eighteen minutes, until caps are tender and topping is golden. Check a center mushroom with an instant-read thermometer; filling must reach 160°F. Rest mushrooms on the pan five minutes before moving them.
6. Serve. Transfer mushrooms with a spatula; keep topping intact. Finish with parsley; serve lemon wedges. Serve warm without stacking to keep tops crisp.

Notes

• Buy extra caps if package contains tiny mushrooms. Similar two-inch caps bake evenly and make filling easier to portion.
• Refrigerate cooked filling one day before assembly. Let it stand fifteen minutes at room temperature so it scoops neatly into caps.
• For less heat, choose sweet Italian sausage. Taste cooked filling before adding red pepper flakes, since sausage brands vary in spice.

Nutrition Facts