Portabellos with Herbed Stuffing and Sweet Potatoes

Even though I’m not a vegetarian, I eat meatless more often than not. Sometimes I like to consider what I would eat for a holiday centered around a big turkey if, in fact, I did not eat turkey. This year I was pondering such things and suddenly the idea of these mushrooms came to me. I had no idea whether they would actually stay together or even taste good but the idea stuck around long enough that I had to try them. All of my favorite stuffing recipes include mushrooms, so in my mind this was a bit like an inside-out stuffing.

The end result? Stellar. For someone who feels lukewarm at best towards sweet potatoes, I was happy that the flavors all worked together so well. It was sort of like all of Thanksgiving combined in one dish. If I were planning a very small celebration and maybe didn’t want to go to the trouble of making a turkey or even a turkey breast, I think these would be a perfect option as a meatless main dish. (If you are looking for more meatless Thanksgiving fare, be sure to check out A Couple Cooks. They have quite a few great ideas!) And of course, they aren’t only for Thanksgiving. I know we’ll be making these throughout the remaining cold weather months that lie ahead.

Prep 20 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Yield 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato (about 12 oz.), peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
6-8 portabello mushrooms
1 small onion, diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp. minced fresh sage
3½ cups cubed or torn whole grain bread (crusts removed)
½ cup vegetable stock
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions

01
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Add the sweet potato chunks to a baking dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until just fork tender, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven but maintain oven temperature.
02
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and carefully scrape the gills from the caps with a spoon or paring knife; discard. Place the mushrooms caps on the baking sheet. Drizzle each lightly with olive oil. Roast the caps about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, maintaining the oven temperature.
03
While the mushrooms are baking, add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery to the pan and sauté just until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme and sage and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
04
Gently stir in the bread cubes, vegetable stock, sweet potatoes, and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Mound a portion of the stuffing mixture into each mushroom cap. Return the pan to the oven and bake 15 minutes more, until the stuffing is golden brown. Serve immediately.