For New Year’s Eve, I was having a small cocktail party before heading out for an evening of celebrating. As such, I knew my drink menu of course had to have the bubbly stuff. But what appetizer would have that special sparkle effect as well? Wandering the aisles of Publix with my friend, we had come up with an idea… only to find out one of the main ingredients was not in season. Whoops. So we had to switch gears quickly. While standing in the produce section, she noticed a display of mushrooms, which sparked the idea of Jumbo Lump Crab Stuffed Mushrooms.

Back in my kitchen, all excited to start making my main attraction, I realized I had never made stuffed mushrooms before, and I had no idea what I was doing. As luck would have it though, another friend had just arrived early. Turns out she’s a veteran at making crab cakes. So between the two of us, we created our very first crab stuffed mushrooms. Please note neither of us really measured anything. The key though is letting the crab meat stand out – in other words, go minimal on the mayonnaise and bread crumbs. And don’t be afraid to really use the spices!

Jumbo Lump Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• Can of Fresh Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
• Package of Mushroom caps – about the size of a silver dollar
• 3 Green Onions, chopped
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1 tbls Worcestershire Sauce
• Bread Crumbs
• 1 Egg
• Cayenne Pepper
• Dijon Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Several sprigs Fresh Dill, chopped
• 1/2 tsp Powdered Mustard
• Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Break off the stems of the mushrooms, and wash them by wiping each cap with a damp paper towel. Lay each mushroom cap side down so that the soft underside is facing up. Let them slow roast until they start to release water – about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, pour the crab meat into a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Again, use just enough of each to coat the crab meat. Next, sprinkle in a small amount of bread crumbs – you want to make sure the crab stands out against the binding agents.

Add the chopped green onions, fresh dill and spices. Mix together well. Place a heaping amount of the crab mixture into each of the mushroom caps. Place back into the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the crab starts to brown. Serve warm.

Optional: Just before they are done cooking, add shredded parmesan cheese to the top of the crab meat.