Swedish Chef's Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer

I promised you a week ago that I would be submitting more appetizers as the holidays are fast approaching.  This week, I am featuring sausage stuffed mushrooms.  These are perfect for serving your guests over the holidays.  The red wine and the hot pepper flakes truly make this appetizer exceptional.  I hope you will try it and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
15-20 mushrooms (baby portabellas were used for this demonstration)
½ lb. pork sausage
½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. olive oil
¼ c. crushed cracker crumbs (about 14 Ritz crackers)
½ c. minced bell pepper (green, red, orange or yellow)
2 T. dry red wine*
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. onion powder or dry minced onion
1 T. fresh garlic, minced or 1 tsp. dry garlic, minced
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

 

With a damp towel, clean each mushroom.  Remove stems and set aside.

In a skillet, add olive oil and sausage.  Sauté until sausage is browned.  Try to break up the sausage with a spatula, so that it is a finer texture.  With a slotted spoon, remove sausage and drain onto a paper towel.  Remove all but 2 T. of the meat drippings.

Dice the mushroom stems and add into the hot drippings, over medium heat.  Sauté until tender, stirring often.

Add 2-4 T. red wine and stir to deglaze the pan.

Remove skillet from heat, add drained sausage.  Add salt and pepper, to taste, then garlic, onion, bell pepper, cracker crumbs, and ½ c. shredded cheddar cheese.  *If mixture is too dry, add additional red wine (approximately ¼ c.) over low heat, to bring the mixture together.  Remove from pan and allow to cool.  The mixture should be thick.

Generously stuff each mushroom with mixture and top with a small amount of shredded cheddar cheese.  Place in a lightly-greased baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350º and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese on top has melted.

This can be prepared ahead of time, and kept refrigerated until ready to bake.