Stuffed Mushrooms

Mushrooms stuffed to the brim with rich cream cheese, tender spinach, and salty Parmesan, and then sprinkled with breadcrumbs and baked until golden and delicious! A complete breeze to make, these Mushrooms are perfect for any occasion, even the fanciest dinner party (trust me, the guests will be impressed).

I remember serving these at a party that my father was hosting a few years ago, before I went off to college. It was one of his first times ever throwing a party without my mother there and he was so nervous. He and I always made an effort to cook together, so it seemed natural to make these and help him out.

(The party was awesome, by the way!)

Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 50 Mushrooms
Serving Size: 2 mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 50 medium white button mushrooms, with stems
• Cooking Spray
• 8 ounces low fat cream cheese (block)
• 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed according to package directions and then drained/squeezed of most moisture
• 1/2c. Parmesan Cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tsp)
• 1/2tsp pepper
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/4tsp paprika (optional)
• 1/4c. breadcrumbs

Instructions:

1. Take the stems from the mushrooms. Discard half of the stems; with the remaining half, dice into small pieces.
2. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Place the mushroom tops evenly spaced on the sheet, with the hole-side up. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. In a medium pan coated with cooking spray, cook the stems on medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until relatively cooked. Add in garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, spinach, Parmesan, mushroom stem mixture, salt, pepper, and paprika. You will need to mix this for a while, until the mixture is thick, creamy, and ingredients are evenly distributed.
5. Using a teaspoon, place 1 teaspoon of the mixture into each mushroom cap. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the mushroom tops. 
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Breadcrumbs will be slightly golden, mixture inside will be creamy and warm, and the mushroom will be tender and cooked through.

Nutrition Information
Sodium: 114 mg
Total Fat: 2g
        Saturated:1g
        Trans:0g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 3g
Calories: 41