Spinach and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

This spinach and sausage stuffed mushrooms recipe is a great appetizer to make year round that everyone will love.

Author: Michelle Pegram (modified by Kelly)

Ingredients

Mushrooms for stuffing; exact quantity will depend on size, but at least 30+ small mushrooms; we used the extra large "gourmet" stuffing mushrooms and had enough for 15

~1 ­pound Turkey Sausage

16 oz chopped frozen spinach

3/4 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs, divided (1/2 and 1/4)

1⁄2+ cup grated Parmigiano or Romano cheese, divided (some for top)

melted butter or olive oil (optional)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (less, if you don't like it as spicy)

1 tsp italian seasoning

1/2 tsp truffle salt

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Wash mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove all dirt and debris.
2. Remove stems from mushrooms and then finely chop the stems to use in the stuffing mixture. If you run across any stem sections that are dry or woody, discard them those sections.
3. Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet (line with foil for super easy cleanup) and preheat oven to 400°F.
4. Defrost the spinach and squeeze it dry. (you can do this while you're cooking the sausage)
5. In a medium to large skillet, brown sausage, breaking it into small bite­-sized chunks as it cooks. Cook with pepper flakes, italian seasoning, and truffle salt.  May have to add 1-2 tsp olive oil while cooking.
6. Add chopped mushroom stems and cook until soft.
7. Shred spinach into the skillet with everything else.
8. Add 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs and 1⁄2 cup of the grated cheese to the mixture and stir to thoroughly combine.
9. Salt and pepper to taste. I also like to salt and pepper the mushrooms a bit, especially the large ones, before stuffing.  (If you added a lot of spices, this step probably isn't needed.)
10. Using a spoon or small cookie scoop (or ice cream scoop!) (which is great so you can get a lot of stuffing on the caps without it falling everywhere), scoop the stuffing mixture onto the caps.
11. Evenly sprinkle remaining cheese and breadcrumbs over stuffed mushrooms.
12. If you would like to make sure the cheese and breadcrumbs get nicely browned, you can drizzle the mushrooms with just a bit of melted butter or olive oil.
13. Bake in 400°F oven for 15 - 30 minutes depending on size of mushrooms, until stuffing has browned on top and mushrooms are soft and tender.
14. Transfer mushrooms to serving plate and serve warm.
15. Store leftovers in refrigerator. ­ They will keep for 1 -­ 2 days and can be reheated in the oven without being soggy.

Notes

If you really like it spicy, you can add in some red pepper flakes, cayenne, or sriracha sauce as well. 

Recipe by Smart Savvy Living at http://www.smartsavvyliving.com/spinach­and­sausage­stuffed­mushrooms­recipe/ ;