It’s the holiday season, finally! I look forward to this time of year so much and am so happy it’s here. To celebrate, I made stuffed mushrooms. Growing up, stuffed mushrooms were always a party/holiday staple and as a kid, I thought that life couldn’t much fancier than herby, cheesy breadcrumbs stuffed into each little nook and cranny of a mushrooms until it popped out the top, which browned and got ever so slightly crispy as it browned in the oven. It’s been a while since I’ve had some so I thought I’d make them.

There’s also a second reason why I decided to make stuffed mushrooms – I received some fantastically giant wedges of Asiago cheese in the mail from the people at the Asiago Cheese Consortium. They sent me two beautiful D.O.P. wedges, one that is aged and one that is fresh. D.O.P. if you aren’t familiar with that term, is a guarantee that the product is made from it’s place of origin and in a traditional fashion. Essentially it’s a guarantee that the particular product is legit and made the way it’s intended to be made. So, ladies and gentleman, this stuff is the real deal.

Back to the mushrooms, this recipe is inspired by the stuffed mushrooms that I grew up with and that my Mom makes. The only difference is I stuffed a little wedge of the fresh Asiago into the stuffing, sort of like the juicy lucy of stuffed mushrooms, if you will. Then used the aged Asiago to dust on top, further enhancing that crust that I talked about in the first paragraph. I really liked this recipe because it really spotlighted the cheese and still took me back to being a kid, happily eating stuffed mushrooms.

Ingredients:

12 baby portabello mushrooms, wiped clean or quickly rinsed to remove all dirt;
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil;
1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary;
1 small shallot, finely diced;
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs;
2 tablespoons milk;
Fresh Asiago cheese cut into 12 small, 1/4 inch cubes;
2 tablespoons grated aged Asiago cheese, plus more for the top;
Salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove stems from the baby portabello mushrooms and chop them up finely. Lay the mushrooms onto a baking sheet, stem side up. Roast the mushrooms until they start to brown and have softened, about 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a small skillet and add olive oil over medium heat. Add rosemary, diced shallots and diced mushrooms. Brown the mushroom stems in the skillet, about 5 -7 minutes. Transfer the rosemary – mushroom mixture to a small bowl and add the panko, milk and aged Asiago and season to taste with salt and pepper. The mixture should, at this point, resemble a thick paste. If it’s too thin, add more panko. If it’s too thick, you can thin it with milk. Using your hands, pinch a small piece of the mushrooms stuffing and wrap one of the pieces of fresh Asiago cheese around it. Stuff the stuffing into the one of the mushroom and dust with the aged Asiago.
Repeat this process for all of the mushrooms. Bake the stuffed mushrooms for about 10 – 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and that deliciously golden crust has formed. Enjoy while warm.