I love making appetizers for dinner instead of a whole meal sometimes. In this case rather than make several small appetizer plates, I made one large appetizer that became a meal. My fabulous husband said it was out of this world and I have to agree with him. You can make this for a crowd with smaller mushrooms, or for an entree with larger mushrooms.   

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
1 large link of sweet sausage, or two patties
5-6 large mushrooms
1/2 cup diced onion
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup pecorino cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (store bought is fine for this recipe)

Preheat oven to 425 °F. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add sausage. Cook the sausage while breaking it up into bits. While sausage is cooking, wipe any dirt you see off of the mushroom caps and remove the stems. Set button caps aside and chop remaining stems. Add onion, garlic and mushroom stems to sausage and continue to cook on medium heat until the garlic is soft and onions are translucent. Next add spinach and 1/4 cup of the white wine. Cook five minutes more until spinach is wilted into sausage.

Remove sausage mixture from skillet into a mixing bowl and cool slightly. Next add ricotta cheese, pecorino cheese and 1/2 tsp black pepper. With a spoon gently mix cheese into sausage mixture. Next take the mushroom caps and liberally fill each mushroom with sausage mixture.

Barbecue Wine Sauce
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup white wine

In the bottom of an oven safe pan that will comfortably fit the mushrooms, mix barbecue sauce and remaining wine. Place each stuffed mushroom in pan and roast in the preheated 425 °F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until mushrooms are soft and topping is toasty.

Serve with a salad, on a bed of fresh spinach or alone. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Heidi