Mushrooms are very absorbant so the best way to clean them is to wipe them off with a damp cloth rather than rinsing them under running water and never clean them until within 1 hour of when you are ready to use them as they stay fresher that way. If you clean them too far ahead of time they will turn a darker color. If you keep them for more than 1 day before using them store them in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator.
16 large stuffing mushrooms
1 bunch fresh parsley or 5 Tbsp dried parsley
1 bunch fresh basil or 5 Tbsp dried basil
12 green onions, chopped
5 cloves fresh garlic
8 oz, italian sausage, or your favorite seafood.(crabmeat or imitation crabmeat work well)
1 C italian style breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 C olive oil
14 tsp black pepper
After cleaning your mushrooms with a damp towel, preheat oven to 375 F.
Separate mushroom caps from stems by gently pushing stem to the side, reserve stems.
to prepare the stuffing, in a food processor or blender, combine mushroom stems parsley, basilgarlic, green onion and the meat of your choice. Pulse until finely chopped.
Transfer ingredients to a medium bowl and stir in bread crumbs, lemon juice, olive oil and pepper until well mixed.
Using a small spoon, carefully place stuffing into caps and place on baking sheet. Bake until heated through, usually around 20 minutes. About 5 minutes before they are finished cooking add a small slice of swiss(or your favorite) cheese to the the top of the stuffing and continue cooking until it is melted. Serve immediately.
