Stuffed Mushrooms

This is for a 24oz package of medium white mushrooms which fills a 9x13 pan. Feel free to reduce amounts if you don't need so much.

24 oz package medium white mushrooms, clean, and de-stemmed
1/2 c. butter (1/4 c. for buttering the pan and 1/4 c. for drizzling on tops)
evoo
1 Tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 c. Italian flavored bread crumbs (1/4 c. for mixing into cream cheese, and 1/4 c. for tops)
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar, reduced on the stove to 1/4 cup

Wash large mushrooms well. I wash each one individually either with a damp paper towel, or by rubbing them with my fingers under running water to make sure not a speck of dirt remains. Then carefully pull out stems and save them for some other dish, like a pasta sauce (always slice the dry ends off and discard)

Place de-stemmed mushrooms in a well-buttered dish, fit together tightly. Give them all a sprinkle of salt.

In a small saucepan over low heat, with a bit of evoo, saute 1 Tbsp of fresh minced garlic until softened but not burned, about 10 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then add the cream cheese into the warm pan, and 1 tsp of onion powder and 1/4 c. of Italian bread crumbs, and 1/4 c. of Parmesan cheese. Stir this all together until fully mixed. You want the cream cheese warm enough to scoop easily, but not melty.

Using a spoon or cookie scoop, place a small dollop of the cheese mixture in/on each mushroom. Flatten and push into the mushroom a bit more with clean fingers. (You may not use all the mixture).

Top mushrooms with salt and pepper, and more Italian flavored bread crumbs over all.

Drizzle melted butter over the tops of the mushrooms with a pastry brush or spoon. It took me 1/4 cup of butter for a 9x13 dish packed with mushrooms.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes covered

Top each mushroom with mozzarella cheese and bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until browned

Make a balsamic vinegar reduction to drizzle over the tops of mushrooms once plated and serve. Makes a great side-dish!

mushrooms all ready to bake

all done!