Artochokes/Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Portobello mushrooms are actually considerably larger than the common small white mushrooms you see in supermarkets. The portobello  mushrooms I've seen are generally 4" to 6" and brownish in color. They also are much more flavorful than the standard "button" mushrooms and perfect for making this stuffed mushroom recipe.

Ingredients: 

• 20-25 medium sized Portobello mushrooms
  
• 6 spring onions with greens washed and chopped
• One 12 oz pack of baby spinach 
• One small or one half large yellow onion  peeled and chopped
• 8 cloves of garlic peeled
• 5-6 artichokes from marinated in oil (I used jar from Costco)
• 1 or one half fresh Jalapeno pepper
  
• 3 table spoon of oil from the same jar of marinated artichokes
• 1 cup of Panko bread crumbs divided in half
• 4 oz of cream cheese
• 2 tables spoon of Mayonnaise or Miracle whip
• 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and some additional to sprinkle on top
  
• 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (save some to sprinkle on top)
• 1/4 cup of any cooking wine (Marsala wine goes well but I used white wine)
• 1/2 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper or to taste
  
• Salt to taste

Method: 

• Preheat the oven at 400 F
• Clean the mushroom with a damp paper towel to remove dirt. (prefer not to wash them)
• Remove the stems from the mushrooms carefully to keep the cap intact.
• Save about half the stems for filling and you can discard the rest of save them for any other recipe.
• Place the mushrooms  on a large baking sheet lined it parchment paper or silicon baking sheet. 
• A this point you can few drops of balsamic vinegar and amino in each mushroom cap.
  

• Bring some water to boil in pan and add spinach and cook in uncovered until tender, drain and set aside to cool.
• In a food processor chop yellow onions, green onions, mushroom stems and garlic to desired consistency.
• Heat the oil from marinated artichoke in a pan, add this chopped mix to this heated oil and saute few minutes until light brown on medium low heat.
• In the mean time squeeze all the water with palm of your hand out of cooked and drained spinach.

• In the same food processor bowl chop drained spinach, jalapeno and 5-6 marinated artichokes to desired consistency. 
• Add this to the sauteed onions green onions and garlic on stove.
• Keep the stove on medium low heat.
• Saute the mix again for few min.
• Add cream cheese,  miracle whip or mayonnaise, mix until well blended, add all the cheeses, keep the stove on and mix until well incorporated.
• Add black pepper,  1/2 cup of bread crumbs and mix well and then add  cooking wine. 
• Cook until paste thickens a little 
  
• Mix well, and add salt (be sure to adjust salt to taste as all the cheeses, miracle whip is salted)
• Turn the stove off. 
  
• Fill the mushroom caps with this filling generously (if using large mushroom you can fill them to the rim)

• Sprinkle saved  Parmesan cheese on each mushroom cap and more mozzarella cheese if desired followed by remaining bread crumbs.
• Bake at 400 F for 30-35 min or until top becomes crispy and golden brown.
• Serve them hot just as they are or with your desired hot sauce.  (believe it or not I like Ortega hot  taco sauce with them but you can use any sauce)
  

Hints:

• You can mix two table spoon of balsamic vinegar and 1/2 table spoon of amino and add this to  each mushroom cap  after removing the cap or just a drop of lime juice in each cap  and set aside while making the stuffing then fill the caps with stuffing.
• You can keep the filling of artichokes and spinach as chunky or as smooth as you want.
  
• You can use frozen spinach instead of fresh, be sure to squeeze all the water out of it after thawing it.
  
• You can add grated or shredded Gouda cheese instead of cheddar. I did not have it so I used cheddar.
• You can use regular bread crumb instead of  Panko. 
• You can use large Portobello mushrooms, or regular snow white  mushrooms.

Enjoy !!  

 

 

Recipe and Photographs by Surekha.