Stuffed Mushrooms With Cream Cheese

Here is a wonderful starter which is surprisingly simple to prepare and simply delicious. I have made it for so long that making it requires no thought at all. Although deceptively simple to prepare, rich tasting, and delightfully delicious, they always elicit lots of oohs and aahs whenever these mushrooms make their appearance.

Ingredients:

8 oz. Button Mushrooms
4 oz. Cream Cheese. at room temperature
2 Tbsp Milk or Cream
1 pinch Red Chili Powder (Cayenne) or to taste
1 small clove Garlic, mashed or 1 pinch Asafoetida
about 1 Tbsp unsalted Butter, at room temperature or olive oil

Method:

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature by keeping it out of the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Mix the cream cheese, chili powder, and garlic/asafoetida with a little cream to make a soft (but not runny) spread.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms by gently twisting and pulling them off. Wash quickly and dry the caps.

Using your hands lightly butter/oil the outsides of the mushrooms and fill the stem cavity with a little of the cream cheese. Smooth the filling neatly and wipe off any smears.

Place the mushrooms on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 1o minutes.

Broil the mushrooms until the tops are lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and serve hot. Enjoy!