Pizza Bites (Stuffed Mushrooms)

Let me start off with I am not a mushroom fan.  But If they get masked by what ever they are with I can handle them.  These pizza bites use a baby portabella mushrooms as the base for a sausage meatball, pizza sauce and cheese.  They are in a word - phenomenal

Here is a link to the super simple recipe:  Baby Pizza Bites

The only change I made was the cooking method.  I am not much of a griller and the hubs was otherwise occupied (setting up the RPG game area for the company we were having that evening).  So I decided to bake them.

I cooked them at 400 for about 20 minutes.  Sacrifice one and cut it in half to make sure the sausage is cooked all the way through before you top it with the sauce (OH and I found a no sugar added pizza sauce too - Great Value brand at Wal-Mart - it was great on these and I used the left over sauce in a pasta bake the next night).

I topped with mozzarella (since they were for company and I was out of the soy cheese) and then returned them to the oven to broil for about a minute - just to get the cheese melty and gooey.

They are also super cute on a plate and look all fancy for the little bit of work they take.

Here is the recipe for reference:

Baby Pizza Bites (great for all phases)

Ingredients

12 button mushrooms, wiped of any dirt and stems removed

½ lb Italian chicken sausage

1 egg ehite

¼ to ½ c no sugar added marinara sauce

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Wipe down your mushrooms and remove stems. Then place them stem side up on a plate.

Throw your Italian chicken sausage in a bowl along with your egg white. Use your hands to combine it all together.

Then make tablespoon size balls of the meat mixture and plop them into the cap of the mushrooms.

Place on a sheet pan (with sides) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until sausage is cooked through.

Remove pan from oven and turn on the broiler.  Top each mushroom and sausage cap with either pizza/marinara sauce and a little mozz. Pop back in the oven for a minute or so until cheese is melted and bubbly!

Stick a toothpick in it and EAT IT.