Crab-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms & $25 Gift Winner Announced!

Before we start talking about this dreamy crab stuffed mushroom, I’d like to announce the winner of the grocery gift card GIVEAWAY.  Congratulations go out to Angela of the LeMoine Family Kitchen blog! She’s #7 in the list of comments and was selected via random.org.  Also, BIG thanks to everyone who participated. Stay tuned for my next contest!

The idea for crab-stuffed mushrooms came about one day when I opened the fridge doors and just stared, waiting for inspiration to strike, hopefully well in time for dinner.  A can of lump crab meat was staring back at me. I picked it up and put it onto the kitchen table next to a jar of marinara sauce and a box of spaghetti.  Then I stared some more. Shawn came in with some fresh oregano from our garden. I grabbed a bunch of asparagus, a couple of zucchinis and portobello mushrooms from the fridge and got a great idea. Stuffed mushrooms are one of my favorite appetizers. Why not make them the meal? 
Being that it was an unusually busy weeknight, dinner almost magically came together. I felt guilty not making the sauce from scratch, but between Daisy’s dentist appointment to check her cute little teeth and her karate class, there just wasn’t enough time. Ragu did all the hard work for me and came to the rescue. All I had to do is pop open a jar of their new rich and hearty Homestyle sauce. There are no artificial flavors or colors. The ingredients are all natural and, best yet, there is no high-fructose corn syrup in that jar. 

You can clearly see the ingredients, chunks of sweet tomatoes and specks of fragrant herbs throughout. It has that beautiful slow-simmered taste of traditional marinara sauce. Homemade without the hassle, just like its name suggests. These people have been around for quite some time and have a history that dates back to turn-of-the-century Italy. It’s not surprising their jarred sauce tastes like homemade. Do what you like. If you don’t like or can’t find crab, pop some shrimp into the mix. Roasted chicken should do well, too. For a vegan option, the mushroom is meaty enough on its own and there’s plenty of protein from the cheeses. 

There really isn’t much prep to do. I just had to chop the asparagus and zucchini, toss them into a big bowl along with the marinara, cheeses, oregano. Then I packed the filling into the mushroom caps, topped with more cheese (of course) and popped them into the oven for 30 minutes.  The kitchen smelled like Grandma was cooking all day and a beautiful vision emerged in no time.  Served over a bed of Aglio e Olio spaghetti, which is pasta flavored only with a bit of garlic and olive oil, the stuffed mushrooms took the spotlight and earned some ooh la la’s from my family. This has turned out to be one of my go-to dishes for weeknight dinner. It is quick, easy and still tasted like I’d been slaving at the stove all day instead of sitting at my desk in the office. 

Crab-stuffed mushrooms make a comforting and delicious meal in no time. It’s easy to make enough to feed a crowd or scale down with little crimini mushrooms and serve them as cocktail fare. 

[yumprint-recipe id=’20’]We love Italian food in my family, but there isn’t always enough time to make everything from scratch. Eating out is one option, but some nights, we’d rather just relax at home together. Jarred sauces from Ragu are the perfect shortcut for making a home-cooked dish in no-time. They use real, natural, wholesome ingredients, so I don’t have to feel bad about serving a store-bought sauce to my family.

This is not a precise recipe. The measurements are somewhat arbitrary and to preference. Add more or less of whatever you like, as you like. These crab-stuffed mushrooms are large and hearty enough to serve as dinner. Ragu saves you time by doing all the hard work of making that slowly simmered marinara sauce.  The mild Aglio e Olio spaghetti is the perfect companion to make it a complete and comforting meal. It is a snap so scale down the recipe using little crimini caps for a sexy appetizer. They are delicious and pretty enough to have as finger foods at a cocktail party at home or take along to a friend’s house. Pick up a jar of Homestyle on your way home tonight and try these delicious crab-stuffed mushrooms. Your weeknight routine will never be the same.

GIVEAWAY

Just type a comment below! Hop over to Ragu and tell me which of their recipes you’d make first. I’ll buy you $25-worth of groceries. Be sure to include the name of your nearby supermarket chain. Winner will be selected randomly.
*Contest open to my domestic & international friends.
*Deadline for entry is midnight June 6th, so hurry!