Living in a small town, entertaining in our home on weekends was a big part of our early marriage in Belzoni. Other than Rotel cheese dip, I'm pretty sure stuffed mushrooms were the very first appetizer we learned to make. In the beginning, we stuffed them with bacon and cream cheese. There were so good. Over the years we've stuffed mushrooms with sausage, spinach, and chicken. You name it and we've probably stuffed a mushroom with it. A few weeks ago, I stopped my Simmons Catfish in Yazoo City to pick up a box of catfish. I like to keep a box on hand in my freezer for quick suppers and weekend fish fries with family and friends. It seems to last forever in the freezer. Anne Scott will sometimes text me asking, "Dad, will you fry some catfish?" You certainly know this Daddy will do anything his baby girl ask. Anyway, on my drive home I was rolling around some new ideas for my box of catfish. I thought to myself, mushrooms! I made them the very next Friday night, and Lou says it's my best appetizer to date. I think your Friday friends will enjoy them as much as Lou does.
Smoked U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
16-ounce package white button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
3 U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish filets, rinsed and dried
1 8-ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
5 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 green onions, finely chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the catfish filets in a small baking dish and lightly sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Drizzle the catfish with some liquid smoke, 3-4 tablespoons. Bake the catfish about 20 minutes, and the tops begin to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside allowing the fish to cool. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and teaspoon of liquid smoke. Fold in the bacon and onions. Once the fish has cooled, flake it with a fork before folding into the cream cheese mixture. Using a butter knife, generously stuff each mushroom with the cream cheese mixture and place in a small baking dish with a rim. Bake the mushrooms about 20 minutes. Juice from the mushrooms should puddle in the dish when they are ready. Remove from the oven and serve hot.