*Photo Updated August 2012*

Inspiration: On my list of favorite appetizers, stuffed mushrooms are way up there. There are countless recipes for them, and I’ve loved nearly every one that I’ve tried. That being said, when I ran across these Mexican stuffed mushrooms, I knew that they would be perfect for our football-watching Mexican appetizer spread. And as an aside, I’ll be blogging my absolute favorite recipe – creamy shrimp and bacon stuffed mushrooms – just as soon as I get the chance to make them again.

What we Loved: These stuffed mushrooms tasted just like tacos. It was amazing, especially considering that they were vegetarian. We couldn’t quite believe how much they reminded me of the traditional beef, cheddar, and lettuce taco that everyone loves. All of the vegetables were mixed with a nice helping of chili powder, cumin, and colby jack cheese, which is what really gave these that wonderful taco flavor. We especially loved how the gooey cheese held everything together.

Helpful Hints: Make sure to cook your mushrooms long enough so that a lot of the moisture from the mushrooms can escape. The baking dish will be quite watery when you take them out, but that’s a good thing. I think that this recipe would also work fabulously using large portabella mushroom caps for a main dish.

Mexican Stuffed Mushrooms
Source: Pots and Plots

I made a few changes to the recipe. Here’s the recipe as I made it.

12-15 baby portabella mushrooms
Butter
Approximately 2-3 inches of a zucchini, very finely chopped
1/2 small vidalia onion, very finely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt (using more or less to taste)
2-3 oz colby cheese, finely grated

1. Clean the mushrooms, and remove and finely chop the stems. Place the mushrooms cap-side down in a baking dish.

2. Add a pat of butter to a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems, zucchini, onion, and bell pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and the liquid is gone. Add the garlic, and saute for 30 seconds more.

3. Season the vegetable mix with the cumin, chili powder, and salt.

4. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the cheese.

5. Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the mushrooms are softened and browned.