brie stuffed mushrooms

these elegant and very simple stuffed mushrooms are beautiful and delicious.  they are easy to make, and i promise will become one of your fast favorites for a dinner appetizer.  these mushrooms are also good for tailgate parties and wine and cheese parties.

the recipe comes from the pioneer woman's cookbook, and could be varied based on tastes and preferences.  i used eight large white mushrooms, but a full 12 ounces of fresh mushrooms could be used.  wash or wipe your mushrooms to clean and remove the stems.  preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

melt 1/2 stick of margarine in a sauce pan.  when the butter is melted, and the skillet is hot, place the mushroom caps in the skillet.  add seasonings to taste.  i used chopped parsley, some minced garlic to taste, and a few chopped green onions.  as the ingredients cook and soften, add some pinot noir to loosen the bits in the pan and allow the mushrooms to cook in the skillet. 

remove the mushrooms from the pan when lightly browned and the ingredients are hot.
place the mushrooms in a ceramic baking dish.  place a square of brie cheese inside of each mushroom cap.  drizzle the parsley mixture over the top of the mushrooms.  add additional white wine to make certain the mushrooms have some liquid around them, before placing them in the oven to bake.

bake the mushrooms for 20 minutes or until the cheese is mostly melted.  serve the mushrooms out of the oven while hot for the best flavor.

these mushrooms also taste very good cold served with crusty bread.

to vary the recipe:  use a combination of herbs, such as parsley, sage or basil.  use a selection of cheese, such as mozzarella or Camembert.  even dried onions could be used in place of the fresh ingredients.