Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
24 large button mushrooms (about 1 3/4 pounds)
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
4 ounces 50%-less-fat pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean 50% less fat)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.

Clean mushrooms, and remove stems; finely chop stems.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onions and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add sausage, and cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the reserved mushroom stems, red pepper, salt, and black pepper; sauté 2 minutes or until stems are tender. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese and breadcrumbs. Stuff 1 tablespoon sausage mixture into each mushroom cap. Arrange mushroom caps in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with Parmesan. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until lightly golden and thoroughly heated.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed mushrooms)

Apricot-Pecan Brie Tarts

Ingredients:

25 pecan halves
1 (8-ounce) package Brie, chilled
24 – puff pastry tart shells, thawed*
1/3 cup apricot preserves **

Preparation

1. Bake pecans at 350° in a shallow pan for 10 to 15 minutes or until toasted; cool.
2. Remove rind from cheese; cut cheese into 24 cubes, and set aside.
3. Bake pastry tart shells at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes or until it begins to brown. Remove from oven.
4. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon preserves into each shell; top with a cheese cube and a pecan half.
5. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts; serve immediately.

* 24 wine-and-cheese crackers may be substituted. Top each cracker with 1/2 teaspoon preserves, cheese, and a pecan half; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. For testing, us used Prima Gourmet crackers.
**Substitute raspberry sauce for apricot preserves. Heat 1 small package frozen raspberries in a small pan with sugar and mix to break up fruit. Pour warm sauce onto brie tart.

Yield: 2 dozen