Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 16-20 large stuffing mushrooms, save 10-12 of the stems
• 1 small green pepper or 3/4 of a large green pepper
• 1 medium onion
• garlic powder
• 1-1.25 lbs bulk Italian sausage
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup grated hard cheese such as Romano or Parmesan

Directions:

1. begin to brown sausage over medium heat
2. chop onions, green peppers and about 10 of the stems and add to pan with a few dashes of garlic powder
3. brown meat and cook off any excess liquid
4. add butter and melt it, mixing it into the other ingredients
5. allow mixture to cool enough that you can work with it
6. grate cheese into a large bowl
7. add meat mixture and breadcrumbs
8. preheat oven to 350
9. stuff mushrooms with mixture
10. cook for 15-20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender

This can be a great appetizer or can be served as a meal with a side salad.

Save a few dollars:

• buy store brand sausage
• or buy sausage in bulk
• buy mushrooms (and a big wedge of grating cheese) at a wholesale club and save any extras for dinner on another night
• make or use your own bread crumbs

Splurge:

• make your own sausage (I have yet to do this but I just bought a grinder!)