Meatless Monday Appetizer Recipe: Buffalo Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

It is Meatless Monday!  With the Super Bowl right around the corner, and healthy diets still fresh on everyone’s New Year’s Resolution list--I thought I would share one of our favorite meatless, appetizer recipes:  Buffalo Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms.  These meatless, stuffed mushrooms are packed with Buffalo-wing like flavors--without the wings!

Ingredients for Meatless Buffalo Style Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

12 oz. Package of White Mushrooms, stems removed and hollowed slightly to allow space for filling.  Reserve and chop the stems and removed portions for the filling.

2 tsp. Butter

1 tsp. Olive Oil

1/2 Block of Extra Firm Tofu, Completely Drained and Crumbled

½ c. Celery, Finely Chopped

2 Tbsp. Yellow Onion, Finely Chopped

½ tsp. Garlic Powder

1/8 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

½ c. Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (Reduce the amount of hot sauce if you need something a little less spicy!)

1/3 c. Dried, Unseasoned Bread Crumbs

¼ c. Crumbled Blue Cheese

1/3 c. Blue Cheese Salad Dressing (Chunky style)

Olive Oil

1/8 Garlic Powder

2 tsp.  Parmesan Cheese

Instructions for Meatless Buffalo Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheet.  Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a cookie sheet (with sides) with aluminum foil and spray with Olive Oil Flavored Cooking Spray.  The mushrooms and the filling will lose a little moisture as they bake.

Prepare the veggie stuffed mushroom filling.  In a medium skillet, heat the butter and olive oil until hot.  Add the tofu, celery, onion, mushroom stems and reserved pieces, garlic powder and pepper.  Saute until celery and onion are tender and tofu is beginning to brown.  Add the hot sauce, bread crumbs, blue cheese salad dressing, and crumbled blue cheese pieces.  Stir until completely combined.

Season and stuff the mushrooms.  Add about ¼ c. of olive oil to a small bowl.  Stir in 1/8 tsp. Garlic Powder and 2 tsp. Parmesan Cheese.  Stir to combine.  Brush each stuffed mushroom with the olive oil mixture.  Fill each mushroom with the filling mixture--they will be well rounded.  Carefully place each mushroom on the baking sheet.  If the mushroom doesn't set upright--lean it against another mushroom and rotate them a little during baking to ensure that the mushrooms cook evenly.

Bake and serve.  Bake the mushrooms for 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender to the touch.  Serve warm.