mushrooms – Fun Foodie Family

Cheesy Mushroom Farro and Oven Roasted Acorn Squash

grains, Side dishes...veggies, Vegetarian

Evening folks! As promised, here is the recipe for my dinner tonight. The Farro is nutty and creamy and the earthy mushrooms have a great meatiness for a healthy meatless dinner. The oven roasted acorn squash is sweet and tender and is perfect for the start of fall! Have a great rest of the night!

Cheesy Mushroom Farro
Ingredients

10 ounces mixed mushrooms (or whatever you have on hand)
1/2 onion, chopped (or 2 shallots or 2 leeks)
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 cup farro, rinsed
1 cup of any dry white wine
3 cups broth (veggie broth to make vegetarian)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat a medium sized pan (I used my medium sized dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat for 30 seconds.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook down about 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the onions. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onions until soft about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Season with a bit of salt.

Add the farro to the pan and stir to coat the grains in the oil and toast slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and stir. Cook the farro, stirring occasionally, until the wine cooks down almost completely, about 8 minutes.

Add the broth about 1 cup at a time, cooking until the liquid almost completely evaporates before adding the next increment; this will take about 45 minutes to complete. Remember to stir often to create a creamy texture.

When the farro is tender and absorbs almost all of the liquid, stir in the mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano and butter. Continue to stir until the butter is melted in and the mixture is creamy.

Oven Roasted Acorn Squash

Ingredients
1 acorn squash, washed
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Halve the squash, scrape out the insides, and slice into 1/2″ half moons.
In a large bowl, toss together the squash, oil, salt, and pepper. Lay the squash out on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until super tender.

Cheesy Beef and Mushroom Sandwiches

Appetizers and snacks, Beef, Sandwiches

Evening guys! I hope everyone had a great day. It was a scorcher here, so instead of the pool, we opted to go to an indoor jump place for the girls. My parents came with us and then we all had lunch at Mellow Mushroom. My dad and I both had a calzone; mine was tomato, basil, and black olives and his was steak and cheese. I have enough leftovers for a few days…those things are bigger than my head!

Tonight I made this new recipe. I had a container of ground beef, but I wanted to come up with a something unique that we have never had before. I also had some mushrooms, an onion, and a random can of cream of mushroom soup. So I thought I might make a take on Philly cheese steak, but more playing up the mushrooms. I also used 2 different cheeses. Cheddar on half and provolone on the other half. Turns out they both taste good! This would be great for a quick dinner on a busy night or even a great appetizer for game night! I am already thinking of new sandwich ideas to use in the future!

Cheesy Beef and Mushroom Sandwiches

4 mini french loaves or one large loaf cut in 4 sections
1 pound ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced in a garlic press
1 container mushrooms, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
salt and pepper to taste
CHEESE! I used half cheddar (about 1 cup shredded) and half provolone (6 slices in total)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350
Brown the onion and beef. Season with salt and pepper. Halfway through the beef being browned, add the mushrooms and garlic. Mix well.
Add in the mushroom soup and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Cool.
Slice your bread and scoop out a little of the insides to make room for your beef and mushroom mixture. This is a great snack for the kids or dog =)
Add the beef and mushroom mixture on the bread. Top with your cheese and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta with Mushrooms

Chicken, Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Pasta

Another favorite for dinner tonight! 2 thumbs up from everyone! I have tons of basil in my garden, so I wanted to make a pesto of some sort. I also discovered a carton of mushrooms that needed some love. Here is what I came up with!

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta with Mushrooms

Ingredients
4-5 chicken thighs cut up in to bite sized pieces.
1 small carton of mushrooms, sliced
1 box Ziti noodles
1-2 cups Alfredo sauce
1/3 cup of Pesto

Alfredo- 1 jar of Alfredo (I like Classico Light Creamy Alfredo) OR you could make your own- Melt 1/2 cup of butter and then stir in 2 cups of heavy cream. Cook for 6-8 minutes. Add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add until mixed through.

Pesto- 1/3 of your favorite jarred pesto OR make your own. This time I did since I have plenty in my garden.
Ingredients and directions- .
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated cheese- I combine Parmesan and Pecorino Romano
Combine basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and nuts in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend to a smooth paste.

Directions
Add your chicken and mushrooms to a hot skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Brown your chicken and let your mushrooms cook down, about 8-10 minutes. Cook pasta. Add Alfredo sauce to chicken and mushrooms. Add in your pesto a little bit at a time. When your pasta still has a bite, add it to the sauce. Mix well. This is a creamy sauce, but if you think it seems too thick, add in a ladle or 2 of starchy pasta water or maybe even more cream sauce or pesto. Cook until combined.

I also made some quick garlic toast. I added 3 tablespoons of butter with 3 cloves minced garlic (used garlic press). I spread the bread with the garlic butter and put them in the oven on broil. So good!

Weekend Wrap-up- A Day for Katie and a Day for Mommy

Beef, potatoes, Side dishes...veggies, Weekend Wrap-Up

Hey guys! So this weekend we celebrated 2 important people. Katie and ME!!! It was Katie’s birthday which always coincides with Mother’s Day. Best Mother’s Day present I have ever received =) Lots of fun, yummy food, and amazing family!

First Up…Katie’s birthday. She wanted to invite a few friends over for a play date. Only one sweet girl could make it (damn you spring sports), but we all had a blast. It was nice to hear 3 girls running around and playing together. We miss that. We ate cake, drank strawberry milkshakes, and opened presents. Tons of fun!

I made bacon cheese burgers for dinner. YUM! https://funfoodiefamily.com/2013/08/28/burgers-2/

Had a fun day with my Mommy at a picnic in the park…

Dinner was so fun! I cooked stuffed mushrooms (Italian Sausage in mushroom caps topped with mozzarella cheese baked at 350 for 15 minutes), and steak with twice baked potatoes (https://funfoodiefamily.com/2015/02/15/steak-twice-baked-potatoes-and-pan-steamed-broccoli/)

Family Favorite- Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Meat Sauce

Breads and Muffins, Pasta

Hey guys! I made this tonight and it was soooo yummy! Instead of dried herbs, I used herbs from my garden!!!! Woohoo! Basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Happy spring! Summer is just around the corner!

https://funfoodiefamily.com/2013/09/30/spaghetti-with-mushroom-and-meat-sauce/

Garlic Toast- I added 2 heads minced garlic to a few tablespoons of soft butter. I spread it on and toasted until perfection!