If your party planning has you paralyzed by visions of serving pimiento loaf paired with the Pi˜a Coladas, fear not. Sophisticated help is on the way with Cocktail Food, a collection of 50 intriguing, anything-but-ordinary hors d'oeuvres compiled and tested by sisters Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford, with collaborator Lori Lyn Narlock.
Chevre Champignons Mushrooms Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Spinach, and Bacon
Recipe from:
Cocktail Food
by Mary Corpening Barber,Sara Corpening Whiteford,Sara Corping Whiteford Cookbook Heaven at
Recipelink.com
This is a foolproof recipe for pleasing a crowd. Time and time again, guests at our parties come rushing back to the kitchen in pursuit of the recipe for these rich and decadent hors d'oeuvres. Select mushrooms that are slightly larger than bite-size because they will shrink a little when they are cooked, but anything bigger can become messy.
Yield: 36 Stuffed Mushrooms
4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoon bacon grease or olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 teaspoon kosher slat
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and finely chopped
36 white mushrooms, uniform in size, stems removed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat 2 teaspoons of the bacon grease in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and season with 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher slat and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook until the onion is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool. When cool, add the goat cheese, cream, and nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Stir until well mixed.
Squeeze the spinach with your hands to remove any excess liquid. Add spinach and bacon to the onion mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat 2 more tablespoons of the bacon grease in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the mushrooms and season with 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook the mushrooms until golden brown and tender, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet, top-side up. Wipe the skillet using a paper towel and return to the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons bacon grease and heat. Add the remaining mushrooms and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to the baking sheet with the other mushrooms.
To assemble: Place 1 heaping teaspoon of the spinach filling in the center of the bottom of each mushroom. Bake until warm, 5 to 7 minutes, serve warm.
Do-ahead tips: The spinach filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. The mushrooms can also be assembled up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Bake as directed
