Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I hate mushrooms; it's not so much the flavor, but more so the texture. I've had a life-long aversion to them and it's only been in recent years that I've learned to (mostly) appreciate what they have to offer... even though I still don't really like them. Weird, I know.

So why do I cook with them? Well, they really do add an earthy flavor to vegetarian/vegan dishes that would normally be played out by some kind of meat, and I'm given to understand that for people that actually like them, they have a "meaty" texture that gives substance to an otherwise meat-free dish. Oddly, I really enjoy the smell of mushrooms as they are cooking- and I DO like the flavor they impart- but I just can't deal with their texture. *shudder* Why then did I make stuffed mushrooms today? Well, I actually made dinner for 2 of my co-workers and THEY like mushrooms. Simple, right? AND, this is sort of another no-recipe recipe because you can make as many as you want; I had 2 mushroom caps so I just made a small amount of stuffing, but this could easily translate to feed a larger crowd of fungus lovers.

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Ingredients:
portabella mushrooms, wiped clean of any dirt, stems removed and diced
olive oil (although I'm sure butter would be mighty tasty here)
onion, diced
carrot, diced
celery, diced
dried parsley
dried thyme
garlic powder
poultry seasoning (usually includes sage, marjoram, thyme)
salt & pepper, to taste
veggie stock
dried bread cubes or packaged stuffing mix (whatever you have on hand- I had cornbread stuffing mix leftover from Friendsgiving in my cabinet)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saute pan, cook the vegs and spices in olive oil (or butter) until slightly softened, about 4-6 minutes. Add in the veggie stock and bring to a boil. (The amount of liquid used depends on the amount of stuffing mix you use. I used about 1-1.5 cups of liquid to about 3/4 cup of dried stuffing mix.) Add the stuffing mix, stir, cover with a lid, and remove from the heat. Allow the stuffing mix to stand for about 5 minutes, or until it has absorbed the liquid.

Meanwhile, in a glass baking dish, drizzle a small amount of olive oil in the bottom before placing the mushroom caps inside, gill side up. Pile on the stuffing mixture in a heaping mound, then drizzle the tops with more olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and browned around the edges.

Enjoy!