Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

By TeeSquared

Freezing the bacon for a few minutes makes it a lot easier to dice up.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. medium white or crimini mushrooms
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons onion, very finely diced
• 1 tablespoon chives, minced
• 1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation

Step 1

Cook the diced bacon in a medium skillet until well done, but not quite crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet, and drain on paper towels until cool. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease. Set the skillet aside until you make the bread crumbs.

Prepare the mushrooms by pulling off the stems, then rinse them or wipe them down with a damp towel. In a medium bowl, prepare the stuffing by mixing together the softened cream cheese, bacon, onion, chives, Parmesan and garlic power. Stuff each mushroom with about a teaspoon of the mixture, then place on a sheet pan. Preheat the oven to 350.

While the oven is heating, melt the butter and the reserved bacon grease over low heat. Add the panko crumbs and toss to coat, then allow to cook, stirring constantly, until they begin to darken in color. Remove from the heat, then top each stuffed mushroom with about a teaspoon of the bread crumbs. Place the sheet pan in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the tops are nice and brown.