Mushrooms, Tomatoes and Peppers, Oh My!
Stuffed Veggies
It is almost time for the fall months, but there is still so much fresh, homegrown produce left. These tasty dishes are great to serve as snacks or appetizers and great for sides or light meals. The beauty of these is that they are so adaptable for individual tastes.
You can use any type of larger mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and any type of pepper. It all depends on your preference and their availability.
The filling recipes below can be adjusted to what you like. You can substitute most ingredients for almost anything.
Ingredients
- 8-10 large Mushrooms
- 12-15 Cherry Tomatoes
- 8-10 Peppers (great ones to use are banana, poblano, colored bells, or jalapenos)
Additional Cheeses and Pizza or Marinara Sauce
Warm Sausage Stuffing
16 ounces Sausage (I like using a mixture of Hot Italian and Chorizo)
½ cup Parmesan or Romano Grated Cheese
8 ounces shredded Italian Cheeses – Provolone, Italian Blend, Pizza Cheese – any favorite cheese you like)
2 tablespoons Garlic Salt
2 teaspoons Black Pepper
1 cup Bell Peppers – any colors combination finely diced
½ cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
Several pinches of Crushed Red Pepper to taste.
Optional: Fresh or dried herbs to taste
Directions
Cold Cheese Filling:
- 1 tub Flavored Cream Cheese (I love Garlic and Herb, Garden Vegetable, or Chive and Onion flavors)
- ¼ cup Parmesan or Romano Grated Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 4 ounces Crumbled Blue Cheese or Feta Cheese
Optional: Fresh or dried herbs to taste
In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients until blended well. Chill for 1 hour or longer (this mixture will last for two weeks covered in the refrigerator)
In a skillet, over medium heat, brown the sausage. Drain and place in a medium bowl.
Add cheeses, peppers, breadcrumbs, and herbs and spices. Stir until combined. Set aside while preparing the vegetables to stuff
Prepping the Veggies
Tomatoes: Cut the tops off the tomatoes and carefully hollow out the tomato, removing all the pulp and seeds. Place on a paper towel open side down to let the extra juices drain out.
Mushrooms: Cut off the stems and hollow out the mushrooms You can use steak cut mushrooms or Portabellas. For those just clean and set aside. These you will top with the mixture instead of stuffing them.
Peppers: Cut the tops off and remove all the veins and seeds, leaving them whole.
MAKE SURE YOU WEAR LATEX GLOVE WHEN WORKING WITH THE PEPPERS
Once the fillings are made and the veggies are prepped – you can stuff them.
The cold mixture is great for the tomatoes. Fill them and top with additional cheese if you desire. These can be made several hours ahead and kept chilled until served.
For the peppers, use the sausage mixture and fill each pepper. Don’t worry if they split a little while doing so.
In a shallow casserole dish, put a small amount of pizza or marinara sauce on the bottom. Place all the peppers in the pan and top with your favorite cheeses. Cover and bake at 350* for approximately 45 minutes, until the peppers are soft. Serve with additional pizza or marinara sauce.
For the mushrooms, you can use either the cold filling or the sausage filling for these (I love mixing the two fillings together). These are served warm.
Stuff the mushrooms and top with any additional cheese. Bake in a shallow casserole dish at 350* for approximately 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. Serve with additional pizza or marinara sauce.
The best thing about these stuffed veggies is how easily you can customize them by adding or omitting ingredients.
Enjoy!!!
