Stuffed Mushrooms

My stuffed mushroom kick ended long ago, but I've decided it's time to bring them back. With bread and a salad it makes a nice light meal, potentially the kind of meal where you don't suffer any guilt later for raiding the ice cream stash after the kids go to bed. 

I used to make a vegetarian version, but I think this is better. I don't bother measuring anything, since the main idea is to make sure there's enough salt and that it isn't dry. It's also wise to chop everything up very small. Apart from that, you can't go wrong. Most people use good sized mushrooms for this, but I had little ones and it was fine. Use what you have. 

Ingredients:
mushrooms (I had a bag the size of a cantaloupe)
olive oil
half pound mild Italian sausage
garlic
parsley
green onion
parmesan
salt and pepper
bread crumbs

Directions:
Mushrooms can be pretty dirty, but under no circumstances will I be pressured into individually brushing them off. I put them into a strainer and hose them down briefly with the spray attachment in my sink. Shake them as best you can to dry them. 

Pull out the mushroom stems and chop them finely. Put them in a bowl and add the sausage, chopped garlic, chopped green onion, chopped parsley, grated parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Mix it up very thoroughly, probably the best way also being the messiest- with your hands. If you have no idea at all how much salt to add and you are expecting guests, you can fry a little spoonful and taste it that way. 

Oil a baking dish and lay the mushroom tops down in it. They should be dry by now. Season them with just a little salt and pepper.  Into each mushroom place a little ball of the meat filling. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top and then drizzle each one with a little olive oil. 

Bake them in a 400 degree oven until the mushrooms look well cooked and the tops are browned. They should not be at all raw. If your mushrooms are big, you might want to cook these at a lower temperature like 350 to make sure the whole mushroom cooks before the tops burn. 

That's it. You're done!