Recipe Friday: Much Ado About Mushrooms

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum and spray with non-stick cooking spray or grease a large skillet. Set aside.

Pulse together the bacon and button mushrooms until blended.

Place the mushroom and bacon mixture, ground chicken, hot Italian sausage, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic and breadcrumbs into a medium mixing bowl and mix until combined.

Scoop the meat mixture using a medium cookie scoop and place onto baking sheet or in the skillet. Repeat until all of the meat has been used. Bake for 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place jalapeno halves on top. Set aside.

Into a large bowl combine: mushrooms, cream cheese, cheddar. Season with salt and pepper.

Scoop mushroom mixture into jalapeno halves. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and jalapenos have softened.

Garnish with prosciutto and chives if desired.

Stir yeast and honey into warmed water. Let sit undisturbed until yeast blooms (begins to foam and expand at the top), about 5 minutes.

Place flour in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with dough hook attachment and stir in mushrooms and parsley.

With mixer on low, pour in bloomed yeast and liquid. Continue to mix on medium, adding salt and garlic powder. Gradually add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough forms and creates a ball in the center of the mixer. It should be soft and pliable enough to handle, but not too sticky. Continue to mix for 2 minutes.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for 5 more minutes, until smooth and elastic. Roll into a ball. Coat sides of a large bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl, cover with a clean dish towel and let sit in a draft-free place until doubled in size, about one hour.

Once dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface to approximately a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Spread pizza sauce over dough, sprinkle with cheese, then top with sliced mushrooms. Working from one long side, roll dough up into a log and tuck in each end.

Using a serrated knife, cut log into 12 rolls. Spray 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place rolls cut side up in pan. Let rise for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake rolls 24 to 25 minutes, until browned and baked through the center. Brush warm rolls with olive oil, if desired. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping.

Season the mushroom and meat mixture with salt and pepper as needed.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium to high heat. Add the onions, garlic and chilies to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is tender, about 12-15 minutes.

Add the herbs chipotle and spices and saute for 5 minutes, then add the mushroom meat blend and stir to mix well.

Add the beer and tomatoes to the pan and bring to a slow simmer.

Cover the pot and cook over very low heat or in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour. Check the chili periodically, stirring as needed.

Season all sides of pork with salt and pepper. Place pork in slow cooker with root beer and barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker to drain liquid. Place back in slow cooker and using a fork or tongs, shred pork and remove excess fat. Add more barbecue sauce if you wish. Cover and return to low.

Place chopped mushrooms on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. In a 400°F oven, roast mushrooms for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside.

In a large pot, cook pasta until al dente. Set aside.

In a large pot combine milk, onion, garlic and Italian herbs. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, allowing for flavors to steep. Pour through a strainer and return to pot.

In another large saucepan melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Slowly begin to whisk in seasoned milk; this will make a paste. Continue whisking until all milk has been added. Whisk over medium-low heat until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add Dijon, salt and pepper.

Transfer cooked pasta to a large casserole dish. Mix in roasted mushrooms, cheese and sauce.

Top with approximately 3 cups of pulled pork (rest can be reserved).

Bake at 350°F until cheese is completely melted, approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper and salt. Sauté for 12-15 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked down. Drain in a mesh sieve and set aside.

Turn on broiler.

Arrange tortilla chips on a baking sheet. Layer with mushrooms and cheese. Place under broiler and cook until cheese starts to melt (about 1 ½ – 2 minutes) Keep your eye on the broiler as cooking times may be different depending on your broiler, where your oven rack is positioned, etc.

Remove from broiler and layer with red peppers, tomatoes and avocado. Garnish with jalapeño slices and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush baguette slices with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Toast for 5 minutes or until golden. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil at medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until tender. Season with salt + pepper to taste. Set aside.

Spread a tablespoon of goat cheese on each toasted baguette slice then top with a tablespoon of mushroom mixture.

Choose your desired ingredients from the list above for the grazing board. Arrange on a platter or wood board. Serve and enjoy!

Rinse and remove the stems from the mushrooms. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the mushrooms and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the boiling water, drain and rinse with cold water. Set on a towel to dry.

In a medium bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, garlic, shallot, thyme, salt and pepper. Add in the mushrooms. Place in a sealed container in the refrigerator overnight.

Serve with other antipasti or as suggested above.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, cook, stirring often, just until it turns golden, but not brown, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and transfer half the garlic and oil to a food processor and leave the remaining in the skillet.

Return the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook until dark brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Add the beans, chives, salt, pepper, and paprika to the food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times in short bursts until the beans are chopped, but thick and chunky. Remove the blade and stir in the yogurt.

Transfer to a serving plate or shallow bowl. Top with the mushrooms. Drizzle with more olive oil. Then garnish with parsley and flaked sea salt before serving.