Oh my.  Your humble Mushroom Channel Editor saw the photo above and emitted one sustained sigh of longing. This particular editor is of the opinion that blue cheese is the cheese of autumn, pairing beautifully with pears, apples, walnuts and the fiery fleshed root vegetables that herald the season.  So to have this in my inbox from Laura Sampson at a time where I did not have immediate access to blue cheese…well, there’s the sigh.

Luckily, in a few short hours, I will be back to a fridge that holds all three of these bits of goodness. Mushrooms, as I’m sure you’re aware, are incredible vehicles for tastiness in addition to providing their own savory flavor. My kitchen will start to smell as amazing as Laura’s did when she made them and my sigh will take on a tone of utter satisfaction rather than longing. Looking forward to it.

Looking for the perfect appetizer for a special occasion? Look no further, I present to you the appetizer of the year, the new social media darling Bacon Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms. Everything a stuffed mushroom should be, savory, tangy, meaty, tasty and a wee tad crunchy. This practically perfect bite will win over even reluctant mushroom lovers (do these people exist?)and make their mouths sing!

Bacon Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

• 24 medium to large mushrooms-cleaned and stems removed
• 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces of good blue cheese
• 2 teaspoons horseradish
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 1 garlic clove, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 ounces of good bacon, cooked and minced
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350˚
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper
3. Lay out your mushrooms, stem side up
4. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese, blue cheese, horseradish and milk
5. Add the garlic and bacon mixing well
6. Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly between the mushrooms
7. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the mushrooms
8. Bake in a 350˚ oven for 18-20 minutes or until tops are browned
9. Let them rest 5 minutes before eating

We’ve reached Week 4- the final week of the Mushroom Masters- and we are going out on the offensive with stuffed mushrooms from gluten free guru Elana Amsterdam! These bite size beauties are perfect for every kind of party but make sure you account for extras.  Not only will your guests want “one more bite” but these make great snacks at home- no party necessary.

Hustle on over to Tastespotting to vote for a truly superb recipe anyone at your table can enjoy!

Herb Stuffed Mushrooms

• 1 (1 pound) package white button mushrooms
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• ¼ cup minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced chives
• 1 teaspoons minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Gently wipe mushrooms with a paper towel
2. Remove stems and place mushrooms on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
3. Place goat cheese, parsley, chives, garlic and salt in a food processor
4. Process until mixture is well blended and tinted green
5. Scoop mixture 1 teaspoon at a time into mushrooms
6. Bake mushrooms for 20-25 minutes at 350° until edges of goat cheese mixture are lightly browned
7. Cool and serve

Makes about 24 individual mushroom appetizers and serves 4-6 people

Equipment: paper towel, baking sheet, food processor

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Baking time:  20-25 minutes

We’ve made it through winter, and it’s time to grill!

Too often vegetarians get neglected when it comes to summer cookouts, relegated to the cold salad table. But cooking for multiple palates and dietary needs is sometimes hard when factoring in our already busy lives.

These stuffed mushrooms come together in a snap and can stand in for a main dish, side, or even a pre-party nibble. I like to top them with panko, Japanese bread crumbs, to add crunch, but they are just as delicious without for a gluten-free meal.

Stuffed Mushrooms

• 1 pound button or baby portabella mushrooms
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 small avocado
• 1/8 cup chopped jalapeno
• Lemon juice
• Panko bread crumbs

If grilling, prepare wooden skewers by soaking in a dish of water as you assemble the mushrooms. This will prevent the wood from scorching on the fire.

Gently dust any dirt off your mushrooms with a clean cloth or a mushroom brush. Remove stem by slightly twisting. Discard stems or save for another recipe.

Halve avocado, remove pit, and mash in a bowl. Add cream cheese, jalapeno, and a dash of lemon juice, and stir until well blended. Pour panko into a bowl or rimmed plate.

Fill mushroom tops with the avocado mixture and level off. Dip each mushroom in the panko and continue with the rest of the mushrooms.

Once all are assembled, carefully slide the mushrooms onto the skewers. If baking in the oven, arrange in a casserole dish.

Grill for 10-15 minutes or bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Nature’s Hidden Source of Vitamin D Why is Vitamin D so important to our health? Is the sun the only source of Vitamin D? The Seattle PI answers these questions in their latest post and shares an alternative way to find Vitamin D when we’re limited on sun exposure. The post even includes a recipe for ginger shiitake rice adapted from Gourmet Magazine. Yum.

15 best (and worst) foods for immunity It’s officially cold and flu season—so how are you keeping yourself healthy? Have you thought about how  your diet may make you a germ magnet? MSNBC listed the 15 best and worst foods for your immune system based on their germ-killing abilities. Check them out and stay healthy everyone.

Seriously Meatless: Wild Mushroom Stuffing Thanksgiving is a week away! If you’re having food safety concerns or stressing over making a meal that’ll please a crowd of both vegetarians and omnivores, check out Serious Eats’ stuffing. It’s made outside of the turkey and serves up to 8 people.

Recipe ideas that use your Thanksgiving leftovers Some say that the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. If you find yourself with plates of extra food after the holiday, check out My San Antonio’s ideas for what to do with those leftovers. It’s recipes for using up turkey, potatoes, cranberries and stuffing which sound just as delicious as the original meal itself!

With that in mind, it’s time to dig in because there’s a lot of appetite to get through today!

First up we have Burgundy Buttons from Heather at Home Ec 101. For something that’s relatively easy to put together, this is a versatile one.  Served on steaks, in baked potatoes or even on pasta, this is four ingredients to a relative umami bomb. One of our featured contributors, Rachel,  pointed these out to us and then made them for her own family that same night!

Next up we have a new face in the crowd. I was combing through food blogs tonight (favorite pasttime, don’t you know) when I came across this beautiful site.  I thought I had my post all sealed up but when I saw this photo series, the recipe looked too good not to feature. Go say hello to Sprouted Kitchen and her Stuffed Portabellas with Herb Sauce.  Your eyes will be glad you did. Though you may need to answer to your appetite later.

Do you see the picture above? Of course you do. And you saw the one before it? This is us proving a point. When you’ve seen one stuffed portabella, you’ve not seen them all. Not even close.  Aside from being an all-around gorgeous shot, this is everything I want in my dinner tonight. It’s hard for me to believe but I already have everything in this masterpiece on hand and there’s a good chance you do too. Frozen spinach, can of artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, an onion and a portabella mushroom…the things happy kitchens are made of. This Stuffed Portabella with Balsamic Reduction from Love and Olive Oil is most certainly what a happy kitchen is made of.

Next up we have Stuffed Mushrooms with Sundried Tomatoes from That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles.  Now to be fair, this was originally posted a couple weeks ago but we’re officially past Halloween now and into the high season of party-planning and I don’t think these could be more perfect.  Elegant, appealing and can be assembled ahead of time- the ideal passed poppable. And just to keep things current (and because, when asked to choose between things I like,  I prefer “both” ), I encourage you to check out her Pumpkin Porcini Soup as well.

Last but most certainly not least, we have our favorite rancher to bring this week’s highlights home. We love The Pioneer Woman and not just because she loves us back.  Because she very simply loves food and loves to share it. Photos like this don’t hurt the cause but I can’t imagine many folks hear mushrooms, brie and garlic in a recipe without taking a look. This is another great candidate for party poppables although a completely different flavor profile. Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie from The Pioneer Woman, because it sounds like a good idea and it is.