Pepperoni Stuffed Mushrooms

I totally forgot to take a "finished product" picture of these mushrooms, but I couldn't let that stop me from sharing these with you. These aren't the most sophisticated or difficult things I've ever made, but they're just plain good. They're crowd pleasures - perfect to bring to any party you're invited to because they're great hot and even good at room temperature.

They're super easy to make, so let's get started:

Start by washing your mushrooms. Be sure to dry them off with a paper towel when you're done so they don't have any extra moisture in them when you go to cook them. You can use any mushroom you have on hand, but I suggest using baby bellas because they have a nice depth to their flavor. Remove the stems and set them aside. Slice the woody end off of each stem, then chop the rest of the stem up. Do this with all of the stems.

Next chop up some onion, red and green pepper, and garlic.

Grate or finely chop some parmesan cheese and a package of pepperoni.

Smash up your saltine crackers. I used a ziplock bag to make it easy and if you have a kid, I'm sure they'd love to do this part for you.

In a large pan, melt your butter over medium heat, then add the mushroom stems, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute until the vegetables are tender.

Next, add the pepperoni, parmesan cheese, crackers, oregano, salt and pepper. When you stir the mixture, you'll notice that it's pretty dry. Now's the time to add your chicken broth.

Pour about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of broth - just enough until the mixture has a "stuffing consistency". Then turn off the heat and transfer the pepperoni stuffing into a bowl so it can cool a little.

Now you're ready to over-stuff your mushrooms. Once they're stuffed, place them into a glass baking dish and add a little water to the dish so your mushrooms steam first, then brown up at the end. Bake your mushrooms at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. I so wish I had a picture of the finished product for you, but I'm sure you can use your imagination. They looked pretty much the same, just a little browner. I recommend them for a great party appetizer idea, so make some up and take them to your New Year's Eve party this year! I promise you won't be disappointed.