There is no question that preparing foods to feed a crowd of holiday visitors can be stressful! But if your challenged by the lack of space in the kitchen, then I have a solution for making holiday grilled appetizers.

A grill is a cooking vessel, just like your oven. Unfortunately, this equipment tends to be forgotten after summer. Well, clean it off in Fall and Winter and gain valuable cooking space to end a stressful holiday season. Time to make holiday grilled appetizers.

Holiday Appetizers: Pick #1

Artichoke Stuffed Mushroom Caps

 

This is a super easy holiday appetizer that takes no time at all. Start by first heating a gas grill to 350 degrees F. A charcoal grill can be used as well but set up the coals on only one side targeting the same temperature as the gas grill. Now start the food prep.

Wash 30 medium to large mushrooms, patting them dry, and then removing the stems. Reserve the stems to be used in the filling mix. For the filling gather the following:

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, pat dry and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup grated parmesan
  • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
  • 1 egg white
  • Reserved mushroom stems

    Preparation:

    Start by chopping the mushroom stems, dice the shallots, and mince the garlic cloves. In goes the butter to a hot skillet, then all three prepared ingredients are added. Once cooked down, the white wine is added to the mixture. Continue cooking until the wine has evaporated.

    The aromatics are now ready for the rest of the filling ingredients. Add the chopped artichoke hearts, parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, and egg white. Mix everything together until it binds well. Time to fill the cleaned mushroom caps. Using a teaspoon, fill each mushroom cap heaping the filling on top. There is enough filling to do 40-50 caps depending on the size of the mushrooms selected. Tip: extra cooked filling can also be serve on crackers or bread slices. Place the filled mushroom caps in a baking dish or on a sheet tray. Place the prepared dish on the grill grate, closing the lid and allow to cook for 20-30 minutes (check after 20 minutes – these should have a golden top when finished). Serve hot.

    What a flavorful nibble to serve guests visiting at the holidays. Best part, you can have the filling prepared ahead of time, even freeze, for those spontaneous visits. All the more reason to keep these ingredients handy all year round!