GARLIC HERB GOAT CHEESE AND BACON STUFFED MUSHROOMS

GARLIC HERB GOAT CHEESE AND BACON STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Yesterday as I was pondering what I was going to make for dinner I decided to have a nice appetizer waiting on Scott for when he got home.  Since we both love mushrooms I decided at the last minute to get the fixings for this recipe.  I totally came up with this while in the store shopping.  I had planned on using cream cheese as most recipe call for this ingredient.  However, I wanted to step up my game and decided on using goat cheese instead.  I have been playing around with goat cheese with other recipes this summer.  I love the nice tangy bit of goat cheese.  I buy this cheese at Lidl.  I love it.  The cost is awesome and the flavor is amazing.  It also comes in honey and plain.  

I must apologize I normally take step by step pictures but honestly had not planned on putting this on my blog but Scott loved it so much and I had several people comment on my picture.  

During the summer the house tends to get rather hot with all the cooking and canning that I do so anytime I can use our toaster oven, I do.  

When Scott bit into the first one his comment really surprised me.  He said, Damn that's good.  Did you come up with the recipe yourself?  LOL, well yeah but goodness it was easy as sin.  

Honestly, this is so easy.  First, you have to choose the type of mushrooms.  I love baby Bella mushroom so I picked one carton of them up at the store along with the cheese.  You want your cheese to be room temperature so it is easier to work with.  It takes about an hour to an hour and a half for the cheese to soften.  I just tore the stem out of the mushroom leaving a hole on the underside of the cap.  Then just spoon a nice amount of cheese into the hole.  I had some bacon already cooked so I crumpled it up and added to the top and just a generous sprinkle of bread crumbs.  

I popped them into the toaster oven on 350 and let them cook.  About 10 minutes into cooking I lowered the temperature to 200 and let them cook about another hour.  I did this because Scott had called to tell me he was running late.  This was really perfect on cooking because the low and slow method allowed the mushrooms to cook perfectly.  Stuffed mushrooms can be tricky because you want the mushroom cooked but not mushy.  Doing this allowed the mushroom to cook just right and the cheese did not melt but turned out light and fluffy.   

I personally thought them a bit rich but Scott loved them.  If you do not like goat cheese use cream cheese.  I plan on mixing cream cheese with my goat cheese next time to see if they are more to my taste.

GARLIC HERB GOAT CHEESE AND BACON STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Ingredients

•  1 carton of mushrooms
• 1 4 oz pack of goat cheese
• 2 slices of bacon crumbled
• 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs

Directions

• Layout the goat cheese to soften.  Takes about an hour to an hour and a half.
• Remove the stems from the mushrooms.  
• Add softened cheese to the hole in the mushroom.  Sprinkle with bacon and top with bread crumbs.
• Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 200 and allow to cook about an hour.  
• Take them out of the oven and allow to cool/rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

As I mentioned variations to the recipe can be: 

• Half cream cheese and half goat cheese.  
• You can use plain goat cheese but I did choose the garlic herbed on for the flavor. 
• If you use plain goat cheese you can also add fresh herbs.
• You could use solely cream cheese.
• You can omit the bacon. 

Overall this was a very nice quick and easy recipe.  Well quick as in the put together part. You could even put them together and put them in the fridge for cooking later.   

Hope you enjoy this recipe and if you make it please check back and post under the comments.  Feel free to post your pictures as well.  

ENJOY!!!