Stuffed Mushrooms Baked in Bags

Stuffed mushrooms are a staple of any good kitchen. But if you really want to knock it out of the park, then stuff your stuffed mushrooms into little paper bags! The paper won’t burn and it helps retain the juices and yummy flavors from the mushroom, so when your guests cut them open, the deliciousness of this mushroom delicacy comes steaming out.

As for our cheese recommendation, Delice de Jura (“delight of the mountains”) is a pasteurized form of the famous French Roblechon cheese. It has what they call an “amazingly piquant bouquet,” which is cheese lingo for it smells like the devil’s armpit. But have no fear! The flavor is divine and creamy and works incredibly well with mushrooms.

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°.
2. Roll out a nice big sheet of parchment paper. Fold it in half, then in half again, then . . .Ok, wait. Using a yardstick and a marker, divide the . . . JUST KIDDING! Simply cut the sheet on the creases, so you get 4 large pieces, about 8 inches on a side.
3. Clean the FunGuy mushroom caps (don’t drench them though! – a damp paper towel is best). Brush the caps with olive oil and set aside.
4. Test your wine. Try that cheese. It’s incredible, right? This is how the French live, man.

Pearl onions caramelized in a red wine sauce

1. In a small pan, heat a Tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1 Tablespoon of butter and let it foam. Toss in the pearl onions and tomato paste.
2. Cook on medium high heat, stirring constantly, until it turns very dark brown.
3. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and ½ Tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
4. Stir like crazy! Scrape the stuff off the bottom of the pot. Let that cook down a little until it reduces by half.
5. Toss in a little knob of butter and stir it in quickly to give the sauce a nice shine. Set aside.

Panko mix

1. Mix the panko, parsley, and melted butter in a dish. That was so easy! You earned a hunk of cheese and a slug of wine. We’ll wait.

Assembly

1. Scoop a small spoonful of the Delice de Jura (or Brie) cheese into the cap. Add a heaping teaspoonful of caramelized onions. Add a pinch of the breadcrumb mix. Top it all with the Gruyere cheese to fill and cover.
2. Put 3 FunGuy stuffed mushrooms into the center of a piece of parchment paper and fold the paper up around the mushrooms until it forms a loose bag. It’s pretty much impossible to explain how this works so go ahead and start cursing now. Once you get a bag formed around the FunGuy mushrooms, tie the corners with twine (about 4 inches for each tie). Place them all into a baking pan with a little room between each.
3. Get them in the oven!
4. Bake about 8 minutes, long enough for the cheese to melt and the bag to puff up from all that delicious steam.
5. Keep an eye on the bags and take another taste of your wine. When time’s up, yank them out pronto. Put the pan on the stove and lean down close to listen. Can you hear the cheese bubbling? Are they talking to you? Hmm. Really? Maybe you should put the wine down ;-). If the cheese is bubbling, then these suckers are done. Place each one on a small plate and serve.

Tip: Serve the stuffed mushrooms in their bags. But be sure to let your guests know to slice through the top of their bag carefully because they’re full of steam, which could burn if their face or hands get too close. Ouch!

Picture from crd.