I know what you are thinking.  She bakes and she cooks?  Yes...it's true.  I can find my way around the kitchen as both chef and baker.  Although I do not claim to be an expert at either one, it is always fun to give new recipes and ideas a try.  What's even better is making up your own!

The best part of loving to cook is getting to share that with my girls.  My oldest, in particular, shows a lot of interest in the culinary arts.  After serving this particular meal, she admonished her sister for not trying it by telling her she "had no respect for her art."  Whenever she cooks anything, she simply must garnish it.  I figure this is the culinary equivalent to those girly-girls who must accessorize every outfit.  It's so much fun to watch.

I think it would be fun to write a cookbook with her.  A real cookbook for kids with recipes that aren't dumbed down but actually teach something.  With this thought in mind, I told Ella we needed to make up a recipe using Italian sausage.  (It's what we had in the fridge.)  Immediately she said, "sausage stuffed portobello mushrooms."  

Gosh I love her!!  

We kicked around a few ideas until she asked me, "Well, what goes with sausage?"  

I don't think any child who grew up in my family could answer this question differently.  "Gravy."  I said.  And thus...our recipe was born.

We decided to keep the sausage simple by adding only a bit of onion and Parmesan cheese.  We figured it would be flavorful enough on its own, although next time I may add some green bell peppers to it.  Then, we used the drippings to make a cheesy gravy.  

Honestly, I was a bit worried.  I thought the sausage might need something else to keep it moist but I wasn't sure what it was. Still, we proceeded as planned.  We sauteed the onions in a little oil and then added sausage.  Once cooked, we stuffed that into the mushrooms and baked a little before adding the gravy.

The result was an incredibly rich dish.  I have to admit, I was surprised at how filling it was.  There was very little meat in the mushroom but the portobello's meatiness made up for that.  The sausage wasn't dry at all.  The gravy did what it was supposed to do and held everything together well.  We served it with some garlic bread and a nice, simple salad.  Those were perfect accompaniments.  The homemade dressing cut through the richness of the mushroom very nicely and its lightness was a good balance to the slight heaviness of the mushroom.

If you ever get the chance to try this recipe, please let us know what you think.  We'd love to hear your thoughts on our very first collaborative recipe. 

And you never know...maybe you'll see it in our cookbook someday!  

Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

4-5 portobello mushrooms
Olive oil
salt and pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package sweet Italian sausage (we used Jenny-O Turkey)
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
Minced parsley...for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth.  Pull out stems.  Brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add onions and sautee until translucent.  Add the sausage (remove casing) and cook until just no long pink.  Turn off heat and stir in Parmesan.  Divide this mixture among the mushrooms.  Place stuffed mushroom in a large roasting pan.  Cook for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, add 3 tablespoons olive oil to your sausage pan (do not clean it!).  Add the flour and cook briefly over medium heat.  While the flour and oil cook, heat milk in the microwave for about 45 seconds, just enough to take off the chill.  Add this slowly to the flour, whisking as you add.  Allow this to come to a boil.  Boil gently until it begins to thicken.  Turn off the heat and add the Gruyere.

After the mushrooms bake for 15 minutes, take them out and cover them with the cheesy gravy.  Turn the oven temperature up to 400 degrees.  Return mushrooms to the oven until they are nice and tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley.  It needs a little color!

Enjoy!