Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I had a couple of Italian sausages I needed to use so I decided to make stuffed Portobellos.  I figured Stuart would hate it cause mushrooms aren't his favorite, but he loved them!  I had an extra orange bell pepper that needed to be used so I roasted it for this recipe.  The way I roast my peppers is I just cut them in half and remove the seeds and membrane, brush them with oil, and then throw them on the grill until they start to get black.  Then I put them on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.  After about 10 minutes they cool down and you can just pull the skin right off.  Much, much better than those watery ones out of a jar.

Anyway, the mushrooms weren't the prettiest things to look at but they sure were good!  Here's the recipe:

Olive oil

2 Italian sausages, casings removed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup low-fat ricotta

1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves, or 1 t. dried

1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano leaves, or 1 t. dried

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

1/2 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

4 large Portobello mushrooms, wiped clean, stems and gills removed*

1 roasted red, yellow or orange pepper, optional

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until broken up into pieces and cooked through, about 5 minutes.   Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and drain fat. Stir in the ricotta,  thyme, oregano, bread crumbs, Gorgonzola, and asiago (reserving some for the top).  Season with salt and pepper.

Brush the mushrooms on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the mushrooms, stem side down, for 3 minutes. Turn the mushrooms over and grill for 5 minutes until tender. Fill each mushroom with the sausage mixture.  If using, cut the roasted pepper into strips and place on top of the mushroom mixture.  Top with Asiago.  Put the mushrooms on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil for a minute or two until the cheese melts.

*Use a spoon to scrape out as much of the gills as possible without tearing the mushroom.