Stuffed Mushrooms with Neufchatel Cheese

These are extremely moreish!

Ingredients

• 12 whole fresh button mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 250g package of Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon of fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons of panko bread crumbs, divided
• Pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• For the Horseradish Dipping Sauce
• 1/4 cup of light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons of horseradish
• 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preperation

For the mushrooms:

• Preheat the oven to 180 c
• Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel
• Break off the stems and set aside
• Finely chop the stems, discarding the tough end
• Preheat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet
• Over medium heat, sauté the mushroom stems and minced shallot
• Sauté until slightly browned and set aside to cool
• In a bowl, mix together the Neufchatel cheese, ( if you cannot find Neufchatel you can substitute with Philly Cheese and we have added a small cube of Meredith goats cheese for extra flavour)   parmesan cheese, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of panko bread crumbs and salt and pepper
• Mix in the sautéed shallots and mushroom stems
• Carefully fill the mushroom caps with the cream cheese mixture, taking care to mound it up a little
• Place on a small baking sheet lined with a silpat or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray
• Sprinkle with a bit of the remaining panko breadcrumbs
• Bake for about 20 minutes or so until the mushrooms are piping hot and start to release their liquid.

For the dipping sauce:

• In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, horseradish, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, sugar and a touch of salt and pepper
• Mix well and serve with the hot mushrooms.

Enjoy!