Tuscan Portobello Mushrooms

This is a very simple recipe that you can play around with in many ways. I did this as a vegetarian dish, but you can definitely add sausage or ground beef to this if you want. There are many different versions of this all over the place, but I like to keep it simple and fresh. I like to serve 2 mushroom caps per person, but do what make sense for your crowd.

Tip: You can skip the cheese to make this vegan.

Serves: 2 (2 Caps per Person)

Cook Time: Approx. 30 minutes

Ingredients:

-       4 Portobello Mushroom Caps

-       5 oz Spinach

-       6 Basil Leaves

-       3 Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped

-       7 Tblspns Chopped Sundried Tomatoes (if you are using whole sundried tomatoes use about 7 and chop them yourself)

-       1 Shallot, Finely Sliced

-       ¼ Cup Fontina, Shredded

-       4 Tblspns Mozzarella and Parmesan Blend, Shredded

-       6 Tblspns Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 for each mushroom cap and 2 for the spinach

-       5 Tspns Salt (1 for each mushroom cap and 1 for the spinach)

-       3 Tspns Onion Powder

-       2 Tspns Garlic Powder

-       1 Tspn Pepper

Optional:

-       Balsamic Glaze for Topping

-       Red Pepper Flake

Instructions

1.     Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.     Wash the mushroom caps in the sink well to get any dirt off of them and pat them dry. Pull out any stems and dispose of them.

3.     Brush each mushroom well with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon per mushroom) and salt the inside of the cap with 1 teaspoon of salt.

4.     Put on a baking pan and bake for about 10-15 minutes.

5.     While those are roasting, pour the olive oil in a pan on medium high heat.

6.     Add the shallots and let simmer until translucent (about 4 minutes) then add the sundried tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, and if you like spicy, red pepper flakes.

7.     Sauté for another 3-6 minutes and keep mixing everything well with tongs until the spinach is completely cooked.

8.     Take the mushroom caps out of the oven. You will know they are ready when the have darkened in inside. Sometimes they will be watery. Pat them with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.

9.     Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

10.     Fill the mushroom caps with the spinach mixture as much as you can without it becoming a collapsing tower.

11.     Top with the fontina and mozzarella/parmesan blend and put everything back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

12.     Remove from oven and top with balsamic glaze, if you like.

13.     Dig in! Pairs well with white wine.