When I have people over,  I always break out my repertoire of “go-to” appetizers. This is one of them, and it’s so darn good!

I don’t need to say too much about it, they actually speak for themselves.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 10 large button mushrooms
• 3 or 4 large shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• ¼ onion or 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1/3 of a cup of sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• OPTIONAL – chorizo or sausage (to be crumbled into the mix)

Directions

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 20 minutes. Chop the soaked tomatoes into small bits and set aside.

Wipe the button mushrooms with a damp cloth. Carefully scoop out the stems using a knife and small spoon. Chop the stems into very fine bits and set aside. Chop the shiitake mushrooms into very fine bits too. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. When melted, add the mushroom caps to the pan and saute them for a few minutes, flipping often, until they begin to brown. Remove from pan and again set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the olive oil to the pan and then toss in the shallot or onion. Stir and fry for a minute or two, then add the chopped mushrooms.

Saute, stirring frequently, for about five minutes. Now add the sun-dried tomatoes, cayenne, paprika, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute and transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Stir in the ricotta cheese and olives and stir until everything is well combined.

Spoon about 1 to 2 teaspoons of the filling into the cleaned mushroom caps.

Coat the bottom of a baking pan with a bit of olive oil. Transfer the stuffed mushrooms to the pan. Bake in a preheat 350 degree oven for roughly 10 minutes. Garnish with a bit of fresh parsley if desired.

Enjoy!