Tis the season of butter, endless Hors D'Oeuvres, excess cocktails and CHEESE STRAWS (my holiday favorite). We all have to find a way to get through the holiday season without moving up a pant size while taste testing our way through all of the holiday treats. Unfortunately, there isn't an Hors D'Oeuvres that I have met that I didn't LOVE...this is my downfall. My holiday party policy is to grab a "small" plate and try one of everything...my go to food motto is "a little bit of everything and not a lot of anything." Well that usually works January-November but in December it is more like "A LOT of everything and there is no such thing as not a lot of anything". My one of everything typically turns into five of everything unless it comes to Grammie's cheese straws and then I just eat until I reach the bottom of the serving dish. UGH!
In order to not crash and burn in December, my husband and I try to stick to "healthier" dishes when we are cooking at home (we always do this but it is even more important this time of year). Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms do the trick for us and I truly believe we stumbled upon the perfect combination of great flavor and nutritiousness with healthy veggies and protein. It is also quick, easy and you can change up the ingredients depending on what you have in the fridge or what looks good at the market. At the end of the long day, you should be able to prep and serve this meal within 30 minutes - which is perfection when any left over cheese straws are calling your name for a quick yet tragic snack. Oh and about those cheese straws, I will try to do a blog post on cheese straws this month. I am sure you have little confidence in a second post in December since my last post was in June. YIKES!
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Italian Sausage, Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes and Feta
Serves 2
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| Clean portobellos, brush with olive oil and roast in oven for 15 minutes until soft |
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| Add olive oil and sauté turkey sausage until cooked through, 5 minutes (I don't have a picture of when I added the garlic) |
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| Be sure to crumble along the way, I use a potato masher to make it super simple |
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| Add frozen spinach and tomatoes |
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| Combine and sauté so flavors come together |
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| Add feta cheese and season with salt and pepper |
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| Fill mushrooms with mixture and bake for an additional 3 minutes |
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1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon - olive oil
2 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
1 garlic clove
4 ounces - spicy turkey sausage, casings removed
1 package of frozen spinach, defrost and remove all water
1/2 cup - cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup - crumbled feta cheese
Pinch of salt and pepper (always to taste after all ingredients are added)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Clean portobello mushrooms and brush on both sides with olive oil (1 tablespoon). Roast until soft. Approximately 15 minutes (flip half way through).
Meanwhile, heat a large sauce pan over medium heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté garlic until translucent about two minutes. Add turkey sausage and stir frequently until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add frozen spinach and tomatoes until combined. Finally add crumbled feta, stir and season with salt and pepper.
Fill the mushrooms with mixture and return to the oven for 3 minutes.
Bon Appetit!
