I took my crockpot out of it’s summer hiding place and put it on the counter, where it will stay for a while.  One of my favorite sources for slow cooker recipes is Stephanie O’Deas’s site.  She maintains a blog, writes cookbooks, and has prepared an incredible number of meals for her family using a crockpot, so she knows what she’s doing.

For my first crockpot meal of the season, I adapted her recipe for Crockpot Stuffed Mushrooms.  I normally think of stuffed mushrooms as a fancy Saturday night appetizer, but these mushrooms are a perfect Sunday afternoon casserole, with leftovers for lunch of course.  I substituted large stuffing mushrooms that were on sale for the portobello mushrooms in the original recipe, and made a few other changes to reduce the amount of oil and salt.

I served the first dish of mushrooms over whole wheat couscous, and it was fantastic!  The tomatoes and balsamic vinegar make a great sauce, although I did have to add a bit of salt and pepper in my dish, along with a little more Parmesan.  Next time I might add a teaspoon or two of Italian seasoning right to the crockpot, but otherwise I wouldn’t change a thing.  I have a feeling I’ll be making this recipe again very soon.

Crockpot Stuffed Mushrooms

2 T olive oil, divided
24 oz. large mushrooms
1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes in juice
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 t black pepper
1 T dried basil
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pour 1 T oil in the bottom of the crockpot.  Clean mushrooms, and remove stems and set aside.  Place mushroom caps in the bottom of the crockpot, laying some flat and some sideways as needed to create a single layer.

Chop mushroom stems, and place in a large bowl.  Add remaining 1 T oil, tomatoes, vinegar, breadcrumbs, seasoning, and Parmesan cheese and mix well.  Pour mixture over mushrooms.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours.  Serve with additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
-Adapted from Stephanie O’Dea

• Main Dishes