Stuffed Mushrooms

Mushrooms are the kind of thing that you either despise, or loooove. I am of the latter. I love me some 'shrooms!!!!! But I prefer the non-hallucinogenic type OF COURSE! hehe :P

I think I literally made this recipe up after eating about half a tray of stuffed mushrooms at my cousins place once, and it's really mess-up-proof. You can play around with the ingredients and add or subtract whatever you like! It's a hit at every gathering I've made this for.

Ingredients:

2 packages of fresh white mushrooms OR about 1 lb ((?)) try to go for the smaller, more bite-sized ones.
1 tub of cream cheese, at room temperature to soften
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
((you can also add any type of cheese you like, like mozzarella, bleu, asiago, or pepper jack!))
a pinch or two of red chili powder OR red pepper flakes
about 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
salt to taste

Wash the mushrooms thoroughly by scrubbing with your hands to remove all the dirt. Dry with paper towel. Remove the stems as best as you can, leaving the inside hollow, like a tiny bowl. Chop up the stems.

In a bowl, add the cream cheese and the rest of the ingredients along with the chopped mushroom stems. Mix well to blend.

Brush olive oil over a cookie sheet. Using a small spoon or butter knife, stuff the filling into each of the mushroom "bowls". You can add enough to make a small mound on top. When they are all finished, drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the mushrooms, and sprinkle the tops with plain or italian season bread crumbs and more parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until the mushrooms are brown and kinda shriveled up. CAREFUL! These are extremely hot for a good 5 minutes after baking!