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?