If you are looking for a stuffed mushroom recipe bursting with flavor, then this is it! The cayenne pepper and onion and chive cream cheese give it a great kick while the crab meat contributes with its delicate flavor. You can sub the button mushrooms with a different variety such as baby portabellas, if you prefer. Memorize the recipe because you will be asked for it!

Ingredients

36 whole fresh button mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (8 ounce) tub onion and chive flavored cream cheese, softened
1 can of crab meat
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/8 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Saute over medium heat until moisture from the stems has disappeared. Do not burn the garlic.

3. Let the garlic and mushroom mixture cool slightly so it does not melt the cream cheese. Once cooled, stir in cream cheese, crab meat, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Mixture should be very thick. Spoon mixture into a quart or gallon sized Ziplock bag and cut one of the bottom corners. Pipe a generous amount of the stuffing into each mushroom cap. Carefully swirl each filled mushroom cap into the melted butter and arrange on prepared cookie sheet. Mix the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together in a bowl and top each mushroom cap with this cheese crumb mixture.

3. Bake for 17-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.