Josh Roman-Wyatt’s Stuffed Mushrooms

This isn’t any ole stuffed mushroom recipe; this is the one that changed Gabe Roman-Wyatt from a mushroom hater to a mushroom lover! I made this for a gathering last year, and he nearly ate them all before our guests arrived. I make them at least once a month now. Enjoy! xoxoxo

Ingredients:

20 cap mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed. I suggest Baby Bellas. (I save half the stems for the optional step at the bottom and store the rest to add to spaghetti sauce or omelets.)
½ pound of sausage (Spicy if you’re feeling frisky)
¼ cup of finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon paprika (I prefer smoked)
Ground black pepper to taste
4 ounces of Velveeta cheese. (Don’t come at me for this processed orange substance that the manufacturer passes off as cheese. If you don’t like it, then choose a smooth-melting substitute you do like.)
Optional step but highly recommended: ¼ cup of finely chopped mushroom stems

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Line a 9×13 pan with aluminum foil. Place mushroom caps, rounded side down in the pan. Set aside.
  3. Brown and crumble sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Drain well and set aside on paper towels to soak up additional grease.
  4. In the same pan, sauté the onions for a few minutes until they start to become translucent. Add the garlic and diced mushrooms and cook for another minute. Return the sausage to the pan. Add the paprika and pepper. Stir well to combine the ingredients and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the Velveeta cheese to the sausage mixture. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for five minutes or until the cheese melts thoroughly. Remove the cover and stir well to combine the ingredients with the cheese. (You can make the stuffing ahead of time but refrigerate separately until ready to bake. Simply reheat the mixture in microwave for thirty seconds at a time until the cheese melts and the mixture softens. Give it a good stir and your good to go.)
  5. Divide the sausage and cheese mixture evenly between your mushrooms. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and the cheese is thoroughly melted. Drain and serve.
  6. Step back and accept the accolades. And if you’re really lucky, something else might get stuffed when everyone goes home. Wink wink.