Sunday, January 8, 2012

Spinach-Artichoke Stuffed Portabellos


Everyone and their mother loves spinach-artichoke dip.  If it is available at a party, no matter how much you make, or how many people are eating it, it will all be gone by the end of the night.  It's a perennial favorite for good reason - it's warm and comforting, cheesy, delicious, and it's "healthy."  At least that's what I tell myself.  It does have spinach.  And artichokes.  And vegetables = good for you right?  Don't they negate the absurd amount of cheese in there?

These mushrooms actually are pretty healthy.  They are heavy on the veggies and light on the cheese.  And I made them even healthier (and egg-allergy friendly) by substituting Greek yogurt for the mayo, and reduced fat cream cheese for the full-fat version.  And of course it should come as no surprise that they are delicious as well.  Not only is is hard to go wrong with mushrooms stuffed with spinach-artichoke dip, but they are popping up on several of my favorite food blogs as well.  So they are blogger-approved.

Served with a side salad, this was a great light and healthy meal, though I think they would also be great as a side to roast chicken, pork tenderloin, or a steak dinner.  The filling itself makes a great dip (I had a little left over and had it for a snack the next day!).  It would also be great stuffed into small mushrooms as well - a lighter way to serve that popular dip at a party!




Portabello Mushrooms with Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Filling
adapted from Fine Cooking, December 11/January 12
serves 4
  • 3 Tbs olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 medium portabello mushrooms, stems and gills removed (a butter knife works really well for removing the gills)
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened (reduced-fat is fine)
  • 3 Tbs nonfat Greek yogurt 
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 9 oz frozen artichokes, thawed, patted dry, and chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and about half of the minced garlic.  Brush the insides of the mushroom caps with the mixture and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet, oiled-side up.  Roast until just tender, about 10 minutes.  If the mushrooms gave off excess water, use a paper towel or kitchen towel to blot up the moisture.

While the mushrooms roast, mix the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and 1 teaspoon of the thyme in a medium bowl.  Stir in the spinach and artichokes and season with salt and pepper.

In another bowl, toss together the remaining garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon thyme, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese.

Spoon the artichoke mixture evenly into the mushroom caps and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.  Bake until the crumbs are golden-brown and the filling is hot, about 10-12 minutes.  Serve immediately.


9 comments:

Unknown said...

I love that you tried the yogurt for mayo swap, and I'm so glad it was still delicious! I'm going to have to try that soon :)

Anonymous said...

oh dear i have to second Tracy above about the yogurt swap, b/c i LOVED stuffed mushrooms until I found out they had mayo in them (extreme psychological aversion to mayo, here haha)! I'm definitely going to have to try these!

Sara {home is where the cookies are} said...

Wow! These look great. The stuffed mushrooms I usually make are stuffed with crab, and I was planning on playing around to find a totally veggie version. I think you just saved me the work. Looks great - and I'm so happy to see that you made it lighter!

Nicole, RD said...

These look perfect for a light dinner with a salad, like you said. And those photos are stunning!

Anne said...

I can't wait to make these! It looks delicious and so much healthier than your average spinach/artichoke dip!

Anonymous said...

You're right! Everyone always goes for the spinach dip. This mushroom recipe is absolutely mouth watering! Yum!

Angie @ Sweet Natured Treats said...

These look fantastic! We're having roasted chicken later this week, and think these make an appearance as a side dish.

Joanne said...

When made with greek yogurt, spinach and artichoke is DEFINITELY health food. Don't argue with me on that. :P

I bookmarked these when Annie posted them but havent' made them yet. They look so tasty!

nicole @ I am a Honey Bee said...

ooo I had to pin this. I keep going for pasta dishes for meatless monday. This would def work well to change it up.

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