Okay, Listen Here

Okay, Listen Here

Friday, August 26, 2011

Recipe Friday--Football Stuffed Mushrooms

Here's what I like about summer: watermelon, flip flops and . . . well, mostly just watermelon and flip flops and you can even get decent watermelon in the winter at Publix now. I'm sick of summer. My linen clothes feel wilted—like me. My Yellow Box flip flops feel shabby, though they really aren't. Sick, sick, sick to death of being hot. Sick, sick, sick to death of my summer clothes, shoes, and television shows. Here's what I like about fall: football, cooler weather, Halloween, sweatshirts, school supply displays, flannel pajamas, football, turning leaves, chili, Thanksgiving, gourds, Indian corn, football, school wrapping paper fundraisers, homecoming at the high school, new seasons of Castle, Bones, The Big Bang Theory, et. al. football, football, football.

So, I am done with summer even if the calendar and everybody else in the country says it isn't true. Even if summer may not be done with me. This Recipe Friday is the:

First in a Series of Ever-How-Many-I-Decide Football Food Recipes.

I would call it Tailgait Food but I don't actually tailgate. First, I don't have a tailgate. Second, I've never seen a game in person that I had not rather see on a big TV. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know all about "the experience". I don't care about "the experience". I care about the game.

Anyway. When Mr. and Mrs. Cutest Girl In The World are not actually at the game, those who are lucky to be loved by them gather in their media room to watch, drink, eat, and cheer. Cutie Pie loves these stuffed mushrooms and I love to make her happy. To be honest, I just make them by flying by the seat of my pants, but I am going to try to give you actual amounts. Take some liberty. I do. And, before we start this, I might as well go ahead and tell you there are a couple of things I do that would get me excommunicated from Le Cordon Bleu and thrown off the set of any Food Network show, which works out since I have zero desire to be either place. But you do what you've got to do. First, I do not wipe mushrooms with a damp paper towel. I put them in a colander and rinse them until I am satisfied they are clean. Second, though I do not buy the stuff in the green can, I do not grate Parmesan cheese. I buy it in the pouch or tub ready to go. Sorry, Julia. I've got a game to watch.

Over and out. Roll Tide.

Stuffed Mushrooms

  • 2 pounds of white mushrooms, cleaned
  • 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
  • One large onion, chopped fine
  • 3 cloves of chopped garlic
  • 1 pound roll of sausage (hot or not)
  • 2-3 cups Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing mix
  • ¾ cup Parmesan cheese
  • ½-1 cup chicken broth, give or take

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Clean mushrooms, remove stems, and chop the stems fine. Sauté onion in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems. Cook until the stems shed their liquid and it evaporates. Remove to a bowl. In the same skillet, crumble the sausage and brown. Mix with veggies. Add stuffing mix. The amount you use will depend on how meaty you want them. Add cheese. Add enough broth so that the mixture will hold together in little balls when you compress it. You don't want it to be soupy. Put a little ball of stuffing in each mushroom cap. Place on greased sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked and stuffing is a little crispy.

I usually have stuffing left. Just freeze what's left because next week is coming. Thaw it and stuff a new batch of mushrooms. I don't have any advice about what to do with the new stems.

What's your favorite football food?





9 comments:

  1. My favorite 'tailgate' food is the Tailgate Bread I used to make when we had to pack up everything and go to football games to watch #2 and #4 cheer for their HS team. LOVE it!

    The kids were always grumpy if I made it and didn't leave any for those left behind. LOL! One of these Fridays, I'll post that recipe for everyone to enjoy.

    Now give me loud music, team colors, a referee's whistle and let's get started! It's been a year and I'm getting restless. We southerners love our football. ;)

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  2. Mmm, that looks good! I don't mind tailgating if I had a TV at the tailgate party to watch. Hubby and I went to the Pro Bowl once (my only NFL game) and we tailgated. It was fun! But when it came time to go into the stadium, I'd have rather stayed at the tailgate party. Especially since I spent the entire game watching the jumbotron -- like you, I'd rather watch on TV. Therefore, I learned the perfect combination: tailgate + TV = perfection.

    Oh, and don't you worry, Lynn Rosetto Caspar of the Splendid Table says that washing mushrooms is fine, because who has time to do all that brushing business, so long as you rinse them quick and dry them immediately.

    Here's the link (scroll down) where she says she got this method from a French chef: http://www.redding.com/news/2008/sep/17/drinks-nondrinkers-cleaning-mushrooms/

    I guess, Jean, your only sin now is the Parmesan. *gg*

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  3. Lynn, you crack me up! :D

    Me? I'd use the store bought everything and get the job done quick. LOL!

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  4. I love it all! Especially the barbeque! I will have to try this recipe because I love stuffed mushrooms! WAR EAGLE!

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  5. Kathy--Maybe you could post that next Friday so we can make it for the opening college Saturday?

    Pope Lynn--Thanks for the absolution. Just can't eat a dirty mushroom. Now that you have embraced the Roll Tide way, we need to do a little TV Tailgaiting.

    Cheryl--I'll give you recipe for barbeque: Go to Whitt's or Big Bob Gibson's. Place order. Pay. Take it home. Eat.

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  6. Yay! Spread the word. Kathy is sharing her world reknowned Tailgate Bread for the SEC opening weekend!

    War Eagle.... and roll that Tide detergent.

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  7. The Guy just informed me that I had spelled tailgate in the "weirdest way possible". I take issue with that. True, at first I spelled it tail gait. Then I changed it to tailgait. But there has to be a weirder way to spell it. After all, you all knew what I meant. Everybody knows gate has has two syllables. Ga-it makes more sense. He also pointed out that Lynn and Kathy had it right.

    I got nothing. Bringing the funny wears me out. I can't be worrying about how to spell something I don't even have or do.

    Oh, and he also suggested that I might be trying to combine horse racing and football, since gait is like a horse goes. I don't know anything about horse racing. Neither does he.

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  8. I have to admit I thought your way looked odd, but I couldn't figure it out. *g* TV tailgating sounds fun! Poor Hubby is probably going to get the Sunday Ticket so he can watch the Bills play. I think I'll have plenty of opportunities to make these mushrooms!

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  9. Jean, leave it to the guy to see that. Like Lynn, I didn't notice. LOL! Don't know what that says about me.

    I love it when you bring the funny! It's funny season. You're going to have to work out!

    I love tailgating! It's lots of fun, but again, like Lynn, I'd rather watch on tv. With tv you get instant replays. Woot! On the other hand, at the ball park, you get to be a part of the cheering masses. Uber awesome!

    As for horse racing... I love to watch. I've never been to one. Again, watching on the tube allows you the prevelage of getting a bird's eye view.

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