When I started planning this recipe, it was meant to be a replacement for one written back in 2011, the early days of Think Tasty. Somewhere along the way, the recipe was deleted, but not its associated post. The post included a photo, which showed spinach and a cheese that I am assuming was cheddar. However, palates and times change, so I decided to create a whole new recipe, while still keeping spinach as a key component.
Times change
Rereading that post from 2011 provided a snapshot into my world at that time. It was a Sunday, spent some shopping with the kids at the mall before returning home to make snacks and watch a football game. Being twelve years ago, the kids would have been in their early teens. That meant that there may have been some homework in the mix.
Today, as I write this, I am flying to Boise to meet my now 25 year old daughter, for a girls’ weekend. We will spend tomorrow on a full day wine tour of the Snake River Valley. There certainly will be food involved, although I imagine all of it will be cooked by others. No homework is part of this trip, although since we both work remotely I am sure there will be time spent catching up on emails, Slacks, and more during our trip.
Palates change minimally
I’ll start with a statement that is pretty obvious, if you read Think Tasty regularly. I still enjoying eating healthfully. So, to keep the mushrooms stuffed with spinach should be no surprise. While the original recipe called for cheddar cheese, I wanted to go with something healthier. That transforms these mushrooms from a weekend treat (in my world) to a fine weekday option for lunch or a dinner side dish. Not only does goat cheese keep the recipe lower in fat and calories, it adds a nice note of creaminess.
Since I don’t have the original recipe, I cannot confirm with 100% certainly, but I am pretty sure the addition of garlic is different. More than likely I would have used garlic powder in the original. There’s nothing wrong with it, but as you need to sauté the mushroom stems, you might as well add some fresh garlic to the mix. (In the initial new version I tried raw garlic in the mushrooms. That flavor was a little too vibrant!)
Stuffed mushrooms redone
Times and recipes change, but neither is bad. Sure, none of the kids live at home, but I get to have relationships with them as peers. And I get to take fun trips with them. As for the mushrooms, these aren’t better than the original, just a different version.
Mushrooms Filled with Cheese, Spinach, and Garlic
Ingredients
- 12 ounces white mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-1/2 cups frozen spinach thawed and drained
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ounces goat cheese softened
- pinch kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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Remove stems from mushrooms, and set aside for later use.
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Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
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Place mushroom caps on tray, stem side down.
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Brush tops of mushrooms with olive oil.
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Bake for 8 minutes.
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While mushrooms roast, finely chop mushroom stems.
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In a nonstick pan over medium heat, add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
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When heated, add chopped steam, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Add garlic and sauté for one more minute, stirring frequently.
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Remove mushrooms from the oven.
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Reduce oven to 375 degrees.
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Combine spinach, chopped mushrooms, garlic, goat cheese, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, and stir well.
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Throw away foil, and line tray with a new sheet of foil.
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Coat with nonstick spray.
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Fill mushroom caps with spinach mixture.
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Place filled caps on the prepared sheet, and bake for 8 minutes.
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Serve.
