Stuffed Mushrooms with Chestnuts & Boursin are a welcomed vegetarian option at any party.

I had you at Boursin didn’t I? I can’t blame you because I’m with you! This soft creamy cheese comes in a variety of flavors and I use the Garlic & Fine Herbs (my go to) in this recipe. These stuffed mushrooms will be sought after at any event and your vegetarian friends will be happy you thought of them!

TIP! Choose your crimini mushrooms in bulk for this recipe. That way you can choose mushrooms of the same size, shape and free of bruises.

This recipe brings together a lot of my favorite things: mushrooms, chestnuts, Boursin, breadcrumbs and fresh herbs. Suddenly I am wished I decided to write this blog post at midnight. I’m now hungry and want to make these right now but that just seems slightly embarrassing. Ooops, I got a tad sidetracked. Back to these little bites of Heaven!

Be careful not to rip the mushroom caps when removing the stem. Bake for 20 minutes and remove the liquid from the mushroom caps prior to adding the Boursin mixture.

I clearly inherited my love of Boursin from my mum. I have memories of her sipping a glass of vino and snacking on crackers with Boursin spread ever-so-evenly across. Fast forward twenty years and I’m pretty much doing the same thing, but somehow it feels less glamorous. Time is really a funny thing. It seems like so much has changed and yet small details like this remain the same.

Sprinkle with fresh thyme before serving. It adds a nice pop of color and great flavor.

Stuffed Mushrooms with Chestnuts & Boursin have been a recipe staple in my kitchen for years. I’ve enjoyed them over wine with girlfriends, as a substitute for meat, arranged on a platter for rooftop cocktails; you name it. I’ve made these bombs of deliciousness at ungodly hours after returning home from working a late flight. Cooking at 1am isn’t unusual for a flight attendant. As you can see, we go way back!

I like serving these on a simple white serving plate with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of time. They really pop!

Over the years I’ve tweaked the recipe here and there, often switching up the herbs I use depending on what I have at home.

This simple recipe gets taken up a notch when you use fresh breadcrumbs. It takes an extra 20 minutes of your time but it’s worth it. Fresh Breadcrumbs have copious amounts more flavor than store bought brands. At least all of the kinds I’ve tried. Depending on what you like, you can use thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic, oregano, ground fennel, pepper to name a few. The options really are endless!

I hope you guys love these as much as I do! xx

Stuffed Mushrooms with Chestnuts & Boursin

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Peony

Recipe type: Appetizer

Serves: 18 mushrooms

Ingredients

• 18 large crimini mushrooms, stems removed and cleaned
• 1 package herbed boursin cheese, room temperature
• 1 small can water chestnuts, finely diced
• ¼ cup minced chives
• ½ cup breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
• ¼ cup parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• fresh thyme for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with tin foil.
2. Now let's clean the mushrooms. Using a damp paper towel, remove any dirt from the mushrooms. It's okay to give the mushrooms a quick shower to save time, just make sure to not let them soak. If you give the mushrooms a quick shower to clean them, make sure you dry them as best as you can.
3. Space the mushrooms out evenly on the baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil over the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt.
4. Bake mushrooms for 20 minutes.
5. In a medium sized bowl mix together boursin cheese, minced chives and finely diced water chestnuts. Set aside.
6. When you remove the mushrooms from the oven there will be a small amount of liquid in each mushroom cap. Discard this liquid by using a small spoon or with clean hands just tip the cap upside-down over a bowl.
7. Spoon a tsp of the boursin cheese mixture into each mushroom cap.
8. Top with breadcrumbs and finely grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.
9. Put back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until tops of mushrooms are golden brown.
10. Let them cool, sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve

Notes

I always try to buy my mushrooms in bulk, especially when making this recipe. It allows me to choose mushrooms of similar size and shape. I try to get the crimini mushrooms that are perfectly round and free of any bruises or mushy spots
This recipe is significantly better with fresh bread crumbs. Store bought bread crumbs just won't have the same flavor. So if you have 15 extra minutes to spare, I strongly suggest you go all the way and make your own.

3.3.3077

The post Stuffed Mushrooms with Chestnuts & Boursin appeared first on The Peony Life.

SERVE THIS FAMILY STYLE AT A SUNDAY DINNER

Did you know the United States is the biggest importer of summer squash? I didn’t! Until last week when another shopper at the farmers market told me. I thought they must of been misinformed but as I researched, I realized most of our squash does come from Mexico. Like the VAST majority comes from Mexico. We do grow a small percentage locally; Florida, New York and California producing the most.

SUMMER SQUASH ARE GOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN A & C

Summer squash comes in a variety of shades of yellow, green and even white. I love working with pattypan and sunburst squash like the ones used in this recipe. I can only get my hands on them in the summer so I look forward to them every year. They are made of up of mostly water(95%), are low in calories and are good sources of vitamin A & C.

Another way I like to enjoy summer squash is grilled with eggplant and peppers.  I serve the grilled veggies family style and drizzle them with roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil. It reminds me of happy days in Europe with my fiancé, visiting with his family and falling in love with the Mediterranean style grilled vegetables. I think I ordered them as a side for lunch and dinner every night; not even kidding.

SLICE SQUASH THE SAME THICKNESS, SO THEY COOK EVENLY

Anyway, back to this bomb diggity summer squash gratin. The original recipe calls for zucchini but I decided to sub for seasonal summer squash. I was really happy with the way things turned out. A couple things about this recipe, I wanted to share with you..

-Salt your squash! Summer squash is made up of 95% water and its all going to come out when cooked. To avoid a runny gratin place the slices of squash in a colander lined with a clean kitchen towel. Liberally sprinkle kosher salt over the squash and let it sit for 15 minutes to draw out the moisture. Depending on the amount of liquid either pat dry using a towel or apply pressure to strain using the colander.

SUMMER SQUASH ABOUT TO BE ADDED TO THE SAUTÉED ONION

-In my opinion the nutmeg sets this dish OFF! It’s a must have in this dish for sure so don’t skip it.

-I know it seems like a lot of onions but they will soften as they cook down. Trust me, it will work.

-The gruyère in this recipe is on point but feel free to sub fontina or whatever you have in the fridge.

This summer squash gratin recipe is a favorite in my house! A lot of people request this when they come over for a meal. I like to serve it family style for a casual lunch or dinner.

Enjoy xx

Summer Squash Gratin

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

55 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Author: Ina Garten

Recipe type: Side

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for topping
• 1 pound yellow onions, cut in ½ and sliced (3 large)
• 2 pounds summer squash or zucchini, sliced ¼-inch thick (4 zucchini)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup hot milk
• ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs
• ¾ cup grated Gruyere

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a very large (12-inch) sauté pan and cook the onions over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned.
3. Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until tender.
4. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes.
5. Stir in the flour. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 10-inch baking dish.
6. Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere and sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture.
7. Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter cut into small bits and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.

3.2.1311

The post Summer Squash Gratin appeared first on The Peony Life.