Recipe: Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms (freeze ahead) and Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

There seem to be conflicting ideas about freezing uncooked mushrooms. Here are two recipes, each stating different views. Hope it helps.-Micha

SPINACH STUFFED MUSHROOMS

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 cups herb seasoned stuffing
8 ounces sausage (cooked, drained and crumbled)
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 to 3 pounds whole white mushrooms, stems removed

Melt butter in medium saucepan, add onion and cook until translucent.

Add cream and heat until almost boiling.

Add herb seasoned stuffing, stir until moistened. At this point the mixture will be stiff and difficult to stir. I transferred my mixture to a bowl at this point and continued mixing in the rest of the ingredients with my hands.

Stir in spinach, cooked sausage and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.

Arrange mushrooms on baking sheet, fill generously with spinach mixture.

At this point the mushrooms can be frozen or cooked.

TO COOK THE FRESH MUSHROOMS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. (These tend to do better in a regular oven than a toaster oven. They are stuffed enough that a toaster oven will over brown the top before the mushroom is cooked.)

TO FREEZE:
Place the stuffed mushrooms on a cookie sheet so that they are not touching. Let them freeze for several hours or overnight. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer zip bag or other freezer container. Now you can remove them a few at a time or cook the entire batch.

TO COOK FROM THE FROZEN STATE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place frozen stuffed mushrooms in pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until filling is lightly browned and mushrooms are done.

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SAUSAGE STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Source: Red Gold
Makes 12 servings

These fantastic whole mushrooms are stuffed with a seasoned sausage, garlic and onion flavored tomatoes and zesty Italian dressing. Even those who don't usually like mushrooms will love these!

1 pound fresh whole mushrooms, cleaned
1/4 cup zesty Italian dressing
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 (14.5 ounce) can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Garlic and Olive Oil, drained
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat the broiler.

Remove stems from mushrooms and finely chop. Brush mushroom caps with dressing and place on rack of broiler pan.

Broil 5 minutes about 2-inches from heat.

In a skillet, on medium high heat, brown sausage. Close to end of browning add the chopped mushroom stems and green onions. Continue cooking until meat is browned; drain off excess grease. Add the tomatoes; stir to blend.

Press about 1 tablespoon meat mixture into each mushroom cap. Sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Broil an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted; serve warm.

Cooking Hint:
As with any mushroom, do not wash them; wipe them with a paper towel or a special little mushroom brush. Store them in the crisper of your refrigerator and keep them dry. They will keep up to 1 1/2 weeks. But it is best to eat them just as fast as you buy them. Do not freeze them uncooked.