Uncle Frank’s Salami & Seasoned Goat Cheese Baked Stuffed Mushrooms
The original of recipe, as far as I can tell dates back to the late 70s, early 80sin some of the cookbooks I found. My version reflects some of my favorite flavors; “Everything but the bagel” style seasoning, goat cheese, bacon, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes. You of course can change up most of the ingredients as they suit your tastes. To serve this works great as side dish, hor’dourves or as a light dinner or lunch with a salad. The leftover filling is great is perfect as a dip when heated or filling for a sandwich or even as something different in stuffed peppers or chicken breasts.
Uncle Frank’s Salami & Seasoned Goat Cheese Baked Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
2 packages of mushrooms with the stems (which is about the equivalent of 18 to 20 mushrooms)
1 cup diced salami (7-10 slices)
1/2 cup of chopped onions
3-4 slices of bacon
1 package of “Everything but the bagel” seasons goat cheese roll
1 tablespoon of ketchup (or you could use tomato sauce)
1/2 cup of crushed “Everything but the bagel” flatbread crackers, crushed up (or you could substitute seasoned breadcrumbs)
Preparation
You can start this off with either raw pre-cooked bacon. Dice and start to sauté it slowly in a pan.
Add some butter for taste then the chopped onions and cook them off on medium heat.
While that's happening go ahead and make sure your mushrooms are clean. Pull the stems off, trim the edges off the stems and chop them into a small dice.
Add them to the pan with the onions. Continue to sauté them until the stems are soft and heated about 5 to 8 minutes. (Note: You do not want them to turn brown, but you do want cook off the liquid from the mushrooms)
Add the diced salami, combine for 2 minutes then taste and salt & pepper, a little red pepper flakes. Give it a few minutes for the flavors to merge and taste again.
You can also add chopped garlic at this stage if you wanted too
If the mixture begins to look too dry add a little olive oil. Continue to cook until the salami starts to look like it's just beginning to curl and darken.
Throw in the ketchup, then add the crumbled goat cheese.
Let this warm a few minutes then begin to slowly combine in the pan. It will start chunky then begin to blend.
As soon as it starts to come together, turn off the heat, move the pan to another side of the stove. Add additional shredded cheese (I usually use Parmesan Romano or some other kind of shredded cheese), and combine.
Add the diced green onions and parsley, then give it a good stir.
Mix in the crushed flatbread “breadcrumbs” and combine.
Note unlike traditional version - you don't need to put any egg in this to hold it together
Let the mix cool in the pan.
Pre-heat your oven to 400 ( you can cook this as high as 475 or as low as 350 - but adjust cooking time)
While the mixture is cooling, spray a oven proof pan, and place mushroom caps with the bottom sides up.
Stuff each cap with a good rounded mound, because this isn't gonna cook down a lot, be generous! A spoon, your hands or a portion scoop all work fine for this.
Top with more shredded cheeses.
Toss these into the oven for 8 to 10 minutes (6-8 min at 475 degrees) but start watching them right around seven minutes. You want them to get warm and the cheese to melt but you don't want to to burn.
Once they are warm and melted - remove from the oven and let sit a few minutes. Place on a warm patter and serve.
Notes
If you like your mushrooms more well done, feel free to cover this with foil when you bake. Allowing them to steam.. You could even put a little bit of water or a broth in the bottom of the pan so that they don't get a little too overcooked. I tend to like the flavor of mushrooms, so I don't necessarily cook them super long - but I have tented them before
