Stuffed Mushrooms with Turkey Sausage

This recipe was another invention I came up with by scavenging through my refrigerator and cupboards to see what ingredients I could throw together. It thankfully turned out really good! I used sweet Italian turkey sausage to make it a little healthier. The mushrooms I found were so huge that we used this is a main course, but you can easily adapt these to be used as an appetizer for a dinner party.

Ingredients:
12 oz can crushed tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4-5 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 slices center cut bacon
1 lb package of turkey sausage, casings removed
2 small ripe tomatoes, diced
2 small onions, diced
1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup dry red wine
4 sprigs of thyme
olive oil
1 cup water
salt & pepper
kosher salt

For the sauce:
In a medium saucepan, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, careful not to brown or burn. Add crushed tomatoes, 1/2 can tomato paste, basil and oregano. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer while the mushrooms are cooking. If the sauce is too thick, add the water and stir until it reaches a good consistency. Salt & pepper to taste.

For the mushrooms:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush any excess dirt off the mushrooms. Remove the stems and carefully scoop out the center. Place on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

In a skillet, cook bacon through, but not too crispy. Remove and cut into small pieces. Remove excess fat from the skillet and add the sausage. Cook until almost done- some slight pink can still remain. When finished, put the sausage in a strainer and remove excess fat and water from the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions. Sweat the onions until they are translucent. Add red wine and chopped tomatoes and cook until the onions are almost dry. Remove the thyme leaves from the stems and add to the onions (discard stems). Add the other 1/2 can of tomato paste and stir ingredients together. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine the meat, onion mixture, bacon pieces, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Combine well. Spoon the mixture into the cavities of the mushrooms. Place in the oven and bake about 25 minutes.

To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup of the sauce onto a plate and place a stuffed mushroom on top. Top with freshly shaved parmesan.