My husband and I really are perfect for each other… Most of you probably don’t know us personally, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.
In many ways, we are quite different. Consider a shopping trip to Target. I will wander through the whole store, smelling candles, comparing nail polish colors, and checking out the latest finds in the home decor section even though the only thing on my shopping list was a birthday card. My husband, however, would go straight for the birthday card and be in and out of the store in 5 minutes.
At the mall, I will patiently listen to the salesman at the kiosk try to pitch me the latest greatest gadget while my husband looks the other way, grabs my arm, and drags me along doing everything in his power to avoid talking to the salesman.
I tend to be a bit high strung, and my husband is usually pretty laid back. I need at least an hour to get up and get ready in the morning, but he can roll out of bed and be out the door in 20 minutes flat. I could go on and on. Though we have our differences, I think we balance each other out pretty well, and we make each other better.
We do have plenty of things in common, too… We both play the guitar and like to rock out, we enjoy weekends at home with nothing on the schedule, and given the choice between a big birthday bash or a small dinner party at home, we’ll both choose the dinner party every time… And, that’s exactly how we decided to celebrate his 30th birthday a few weeks ago!
For his dinner party, my hubby chose a menu of Italian food… That’s another way that we’re a lot alike. I had fun planning the small party. For dinner, we had chicken parmigiana, one of his favorites. I had fun decorating some cookies to use as place cards for the table and favors for our guests. Instead of the usual birthday cake, he requested cheesecake, and I jazzed it up with strawberry sauce and an espresso Balsamic vinegar reduction.
Usually I don’t really do appetizers, but since it was a special occasion (and because my hubby’s totally worth it), I also decided to go for it. I whipped up a batch of creamy stuffed mushrooms… Originally I was going to just make some ricotta stuffed mushrooms, but as I was grocery shopping I saw some mascarpone cheese and I decided to step it up a bit with some mascarpone and crab stuffed mushrooms. They ended up being a big hit with our dinner guests, and they were super easy to make!
I would also like to note that, had my husband been the one shopping, this recipe never would have happened… Sometimes my shopping habits pay off!
Mascarpone and Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
(Makes 12 appetizer portions)
- 12 large white mushrooms, stems removed
- 8 ounces crab meat (lump or special is what I prefer)
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 cup bread crumbs, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped and divided
- 1 lemon
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Arrange the mushrooms upside down in a lightly greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the crab meat, mascarpone cheese, egg, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons of the chopped parsley, and the zest from the lemon. (Reserve the zested lemon for later.) Season the mixture with salt and pepper and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, remaining tablespoon of parsley and the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper, and then toss together with a fork until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Spoon the crab mixture into each mushroom. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the crab mixture. Bake for 25 minutes until the filling is bubbly (just a bit) and the bread crumbs are golden. Squeeze the lemon over the mushrooms and serve immediately.
Sounds like a great dinner party and those stuffed mushrooms look amazing! I’d be happy eating them alone:-)
Yum, sounds like a very delicious birthday dinner party! The filling would also be good in some portabella mushrooms… and then they could be grilled on the BBQ in the summer! Thanks for sharing.
– Brittany
Yes, they would have been fabulous with portabellas… Unfortunately, I couldn’t find them at the store. They were my first choice :)
Mmmm, crab & mascarpone – two of my favorite things!! Looks like you had a really beautiful dinner party.
What a perfect appetizer for your husband’s party Jen! I love stuffed mushrooms, this combination sounds delicious :)
I’d probably pick Italian for my birthday… includes some of my favorite dishes. And this one looks incredible!
Darron is one lucky guy that you have so many great interests in common and wow – what a meal! I too, much prefer a quiet dinner at home rather than a huge party. Glad some of the cool younger kids do too!
I love stuffed mushrooms – these look fantastic. Since moving to the Maryland area (I’m about a mile south in DC) I’ve been so inspired to use crab!
Jen, these look so very tasty! Thanks for sharing :)
What a fabulous intimate dinner party you must have had and how special your husband must have felt by all the planning and work you put into it. Your mushrooms look amazing, the cheesecake is stunning and your cookie placecards and favors are just the ticket! Happy Belated Birthday to your husband. All the best for a wonderful year for him.
Going to make them this evening…gonna serve em as a starter. Having my mom and dad over for dinner! But hey! Where do you put the egg? I guess in the breadtopping…atleast i hope so, i hope i done right :-D
Hi, Matias – The egg gets mixed in with the mascarpone, crab, and breadcrumbs to make the filling. You’ll see that in the recipe right under the photograph of the mushrooms.
I had to laugh when you talked about your shopping trip to Target. That sounds exactly like Mr.NN and I. He really hates it…but he loves me, so he puts up with it…hehe :)
I’m totally digging these stuffed mushrooms. I think the mascarpone sounds like a wonderful change. Even better than ricotta in my opinion.
I LOVE how you stepped it up a bit with Marscarpone. I’m so making this for my next stuff mushroom round.
And your husband sounds like mine. LOL-always tugging at me to move along while someone is pitching me something.
trying these tonight for pre Thanksgiving dinner they sound just wonderful can’t wait to try them, thank u! Happy holidays everyone!!
Sounds as if you had the perfect dinner party. I love all of the food choices!
I prefer a small dinner party at home too. The mushrooms look terrific. Going on my menu for when we go to cabin on the lake in a few weeks!
I love crab stuffed anything! These look delicious!