Ingredients:
2 portobello mushrooms
½ pound Italian sausage, casings removed
Dash oregano
Few fennel seeds
½ cup jarred pizza sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

You know how some days you just feel like going into the kitchen and “mixing it up?” Today is one of those days for me. It’s almost time for lunch on a beautiful fall Sunday. The sun is shining through the plantation shutters. The cats are all camped out in the sunbeams and I’m just plain inspired! I love pizza and hamburgers and nachos but I try not to feed those carb-loaded meals to Vince (or me!) too often. In keeping with that theme, I’ve decided to stuff some portobello mushrooms with Italian sausage — sort of like a pizza, but without the crust. This is a very simple recipe made with just a few ingredients. Fast and easy.

Start with two portobello mushrooms. Gently remove the gills with a spoon and place in a lightly greased baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook ½ pound of Italian sausage. (You could easily substitute turkey sausage or ground beef.) While the sausage is browning, I like to add a dash of dried oregano and few fennel seeds. Drain the sausage on paper towels.

Place the cooked sausage in a medium-sized bowl. Add ½ cup jarred pizza sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh Italian parsley.

Mix well to combine.

Gently fill each mushroom with half of the filling. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the mushrooms are cooked through.

Yep. This recipe is a keeper! (Vince scarfed his mushroom before I could take a photo.)

 

Debbi Covington is a chef, caterer, cookbook author and food columnist from Beaufort, SC. She has written two cookbooks, Gold Medal Winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. Debbi writes the food column “Everyday Gourmet” in Beaufort’s Lowcountry Weekly newspaper and has been featured as a “Master of Entertaining” in Southern Living magazine. Her recipes have been published in multiple cookbooks including Southern Living’s Best Kept Secrets of the South’s Best Cooks and The Best of The Best of South Carolina. Her food has been photographed for Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. She has been voted “Favorite Caterer,” “Best Caterer” and “Best Catering Company” in Beaufort, SC. Debbi has a passion for sophisticated southern cuisine and delights in creating seasonal and locally inspired menus.