Mushrooms. I could seriously eat them every single day of the week. Their earthiness is something I find hard to resist, whether grilled, sauteed, or in this case, stuffed.
I remember making stuffed mushrooms as a kid, with a recipe of Mom’s that involved lots of gooey mozzarella cheese. It was a favorite appetizer that our family made for special occasions, and there were never any leftovers.
This recipe for Mushrooms Stuffed with Bacon, Blue Cheese, & Dried Cherry is a little more involved than the one from my childhood, but incredibly worth the extra time and effort. The meaty bites are packed with flavor. Lots of yummy flavor. I love how the salty bacon and blue cheese is offset by little pops of sweet dried cherry. It’s a fabulous coming together of tastes and textures. My “blue cheese is gross” oldest daughter even downed a few. There really is no resisting.
Ile de France sent me some of their beautiful Roquefort over the holidays. And I have proceeded to enjoy it sprinkled on green salads, on crackers with a drizzle of honey, and as a major component in the awesome Mushrooms Stuffed with Bacon, Blue Cheese, & Dried Cherry. Creamy and robust, this cheese is both versatile and delicious!
Disclosure: Thanks to Ile de France for providing me with yummy Roquefort to sample. You can find Ile de France on facebook and twitter. All text and opinions are my own.
Stuffed Mushrooms with Bacon & Blue Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 24 cremini mushrooms, 1½″ to 2″ diameter in size is ideal (about 12-14 ounces total)
- ¼ cup small-diced shallot
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus additional leaves for garnish
- ⅓ cup small-diced dried cherries (I like the ones from Trader Joe’s)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until just crisp.
- While bacon is frying, brush mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Pop off the stems and finely mince them. Set aside the minced stems and caps.
- Once bacon is finished cooking, remove it to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Add minced mushroom stems and diced shallots to the same skillet with the bacon drippings, and give a stir every now and then. Once they are softened (turn the heat down if they start to brown), about 6-8 minutes or so, remove them to another paper towel-lined plate to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and blue cheese. Stir in the thyme, cherries, black pepper, and the cooled bacon, mushroom stems, and shallots.
- Divide cheesy stuffing mixture between the mushroom caps, pressing the stuffing into the caps and mounding it as needed, to use all of the stuffing mixture. Place stuffed mushrooms in a baking dish and sprinkle with a bit of bread crumbs.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until mushrooms are softened and the stuffing mixture is nicely browned.
- Serve hot/warm, with additional thyme leaves sprinkled over the top.
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I love feta in salads!
Posted about the giveaway on my facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/stephanie.voit/posts/305929509448703
I liked A Farmgirl’s Dabbles on facebook
I’m a fan of brie or St Andre with some toasted baguette slices :)
I love ALL cheese! But feta cheese is my favorite. I love to top grilled hamburgers with a little bit of feta… yum!
I think we will have to give these a try! Maybe grill them… I love grilling stuffed mushrooms, and today since it is 50 degrees in Fargo, ND, may just have to do that!
Aged pecorino cheese, with a Bosc pear :)
Oh girl, you know I love me some goat cheese. Funny thing though, lately I’ve been eating blue cheese stuffed dates almost daily! It’s become my go to snack, and I LOVE it!
LOVE goat cheese. Any way, with any thing!! Esp. crackers and on salad! YUM!
My favorite cheese is Camembert and I like to eat it on crackers or apple slices.
I shared about the giveaway on my FB page https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=231299593614600&id=100003102212859
Thanks for the giveaway! I lovve cheese :)
I tweeted about the giveaway!
https://twitter.com/#!/picatasi/status/156258927175155712
I follow you on Twitter!
I liked you on FB
Recently I’ve been getting a kick out of goat cheese spread on toast!
My favorite cheese is goat cheese from a local farmer who sells at our farmer’s market. I LOVE it in the cranberry pistachio cheese ball she makes around the holidays!
My favorite cheese is fresh mozzarella–just plain by itself!
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