Pepperoni Pizza-Stuffed Mushrooms

Everyone loved this. (Personally, I thought they were just okay.)  I got this recipe during my free trial of America's Test Kitchen.

Topping

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, quartered

1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBSP olive oil

Mushrooms

24 large mushrooms, stems removed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 recipe stuffing (see below)

Stuffing

1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, chopped fine

1/2 c shredded Italian cheese blend

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 TBSP tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp pepper

1.  For the topping, pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs.  Mix parsley, garlic and oil in bowl.  Stir crumbs in oils to coat.  Set aside.

2.  For the stuffing:  Reserve 2 TBSP chopped pepperoni.  Process remaining pepperoni and all other ingredients in food processor until smooth.  Transfer to zipper bag until ready to use.  

3.  For the mushrooms:  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.  Line rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on baking sheet.  Toss mushrooms with oil, lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.  Arrange mushrooms gill side up on rack and roast until juices are released, about 20 minutes   Turn caps over and roast until mushrooms are browned, about 10 minutes.

4.  Remove baking sheet from oven.  Flip roasted mushrooms gill side up and cool slightly.  Snip off one corner of zipper back of stuffing, then fill mushrooms.  press each cap, stuffing side down into bread-crumb topping to coat.  Sprinkle with reserved pepperoni and arrange, topping side up on rack.  Bake until filling is hot and topping is golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes before serving.

**My notes:  To save steps, I mixed the parsley and bread crumbs in the stuffing and just spooned it into the mushrooms.  I also don't own a food processor so I didn't have the stuffing all smooth.  I like chunky better anyways. Everyone still fought over the leftovers.