Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Note from Marie: When I first heard about "goat cheese" (also know as "chevre cheese"), I was a little suspect. (Unknown cheeses - especially if they turn out to be particularly pungent - can be pretty overwhelming.) Fortunately, my suspicions about goat cheese were for naught. Goat cheese has a mild, salty flavor, and a wonderfully rich, creamy texture. It's versatile too: I've seen it used in ravioli, dotted across pizzas, baked on salads, and spread across slices of a toasted baguette. In addition to its many uses, goat cheese also tends to be lower in carbohydrates but higher in calcium than comparable cow's milk cheese (such as cream cheese). And, for those of you who are lactose intolerant, goat cheese may be a perfect alternative. Because the fat cells in goat cheese are smaller than the fat cells in cow's milk cheese, goat cheese is more easily assimilated into the human body. Sorry to be so scientific! I just want you all to experience a cheese than I have grown to love. If you are a little hesitant, or if you happen to love goat cheese already, give this recipe for Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms a try! I made them as an appetizer on my Dinner Date show, and wow, was my date impressed!

Makes 12 stuffed mushrooms .

Ingredients:

12 large mushrooms – cleaned and stemmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup green onions – minced

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese – grated

¼ cup soft bread crumbs

¼ cup pecans – minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme – minced

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1 ounce goat cheese

Instructions:

Sauté mushroom caps in olive oil over medium high heat for five minutes. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towel. Add green onions to skillet; sauté over medium heat until tender. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, pecans, and thyme.

Crumble goat cheese into mushroom caps. Spoon breadcrumb mixture into mushroom caps over goat cheese. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.

Arrange mushrooms on cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil (with oven door open) for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.