Make Ahead Party Appetizer

You can make stuffed mushrooms today, store them in your freezer and serve them for Christmas dinner!  How cool is that?  I love finding great recipes that I can make in advance. These stuffed mushrooms can be made up to 3 months in advance.   They are the perfect dinner party appetizer because I can pop them in the oven just before my guests arrive and they fill the house with the enticing smell of warm roasted garlic and melting cheese.  

Stuffed Mushrooms
1 slice white bread           
24 mushroom caps
6 Tablespoons oil           
4 ounces cream cheese
6 cloves garlic               
1 Tablespoon green onions

Pulse bread in cuisinart.  Toss with 1 T. oil, 1 t. garlic, 1/8 t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper.  Spread onto baking sheet and toast for 20 minutes at 300.

Remove bread from oven and increase temperature to 450.  Combine 2 T. oil, 2 T. garlic, 1/4 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper.  Toss mushrooms in oil and lay gill side down on foil lined baking sheet.

Roast 20 minutes.  Turn mushrooms over and roast10 more minutes.  Remove from oven and flip over again.  Mix cream cheese, green onions and  1 t. oil.  Spoon into ziploc bag and pipe into mushroom caps.  Dip each cap upside down in bread crumbs and transfer to clean baking sheet.

Cover dish and freeze for up to 8 weeks.  (I like to use glass Pyrex dishes for freezer to oven convenience.)  I always label the lid because even though I think I will remember exactly what's inside, I usually forget.  I write the name of the food and heating instructions on a piece of tape so that I don't have to spend time looking up the recipe again when I'm ready to reheat.

 Remove mushrooms from freezer and bake frozen mushrooms for 10 minutes at 450.   Serve warm.

You will be surprised how easy these are to make and how many compliments you will get on them.  These mushrooms never fail to impress.  They aren't fancy or fussy - just simple and delicious. 

On a completely separate note, I spent last night cheering for my son's wrestling team.  The whole team wrestled really well.  I am so proud of my son for winning all 3 of his matches last night.

Bon Appetit!