Crab Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This is the entree I prepared last week for our anniversary dinner.  The original recipe came from a Pampered Chef " Celebrate" cookbook*.  I made a few changes including the addition of lump crab meat and they turned out to be DELICIOUS!!  Some recipes are considered "guest worthy"and this is one of them!

We had a nice evening celebrating our anniversary and continued the celebration Friday evening with a visit back to Hotel Hershey (the scene of the crime a.k.a. wedding venue).  They did some major renovations to the Circular Dining Room including the name which is now The Circular.  We were very impressed!  The dress code is more casual...men are no longer required to wear jackets (although most still did and I even saw one guy in a tuxedo). They built a bar in the middle of the room and have some very talented mixologists on staff.  If you're looking for a romantic night out or if you're a foodie, this is the place to go...the food and service is outstanding and the view is just as beautiful as it was 8 years ago.

Okay, back to cooking at home...these portobellos are as impressive as anything you'd find in a fine restaurant, they're simple to prepare and take less than 30 minutes to bake.  I served them with sauteed spinach and pinot grigio.  One piece of advice is to make sure you buy lump crab meat ... its okay to substitute less expensive crab for dips and other recipes but this is the star of the show and you don't want to mess with the taste, texture and look.  Hope you enjoy them!

INGREDIENTS
2 Portobello mushroom caps (about 4 inches in diameter), remove stems
2 teaspoons Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
1/3 pound lump crab meat (you can use the other 2/3 pound to make crab cakes another night)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon panko bread crumbs

1.  Preheat oven to 425'F.  Brush mushroom caps with salad dressing and place them gill side up in a baking dish.

2.  Chop mushroom stems, cherry tomatoes and basil.  Place in a bowl and add the pressed garlic, cheese and bread crumbs.  Mix gently.  Fold in the crab meat ... do NOT over stir!

3.  Scoop the mixture evenly into the mushroom caps until its piled high on top.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.



*Recipe adapted from Pampered Chef