Italian sausage and mascarpone cheese stuffed mushrooms....

"I can't keep these on the table long enough... once you pop one, you'll keep going."

Guaranteed....to WOW!!!

Ingredients:

16 extra-large white stuffing mushrooms

4 tablespoons extra virign olive oil + an add'l 3 tbsp

4 tablespoons Sherry

3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings

6 scallions, white and green parts, minced

2 garlic cloves minced

2/3 cup panko crumbs

5 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 4 tablespoons of both the olive oil and sherry. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage while crumbling it with a wooden spoon. Brown the sausage completely (approx. 8 min.). Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, add the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. If mixture appears too dry, add more mascarpone. If the mixture appears too wet, add a smidge more panko.

Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish (single layer). Bake the stuffing for 50 minutes or until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

I copped out on the photo. The photo was actually from last year (which this was a submission I had on FA). However, this year's batch was placed on the table before i could snap a picture and they were torn apart in minutes...lol. So forgive the horrible and non-professional picture in the aluminum pan. lol