Lighter Stuffed Mushrooms

A dear friend of mine just asked me for a stuffed mushroom recipe she could use for an upcoming party. Here is one that we've tried that we really liked. Even better is that it's a lighter version with a third less calories and a fifth of the fat per serving as the more classic version so you can stuff your face a few extra times.

Stuffed Mushrooms - The Best of Cook's Illustrated Light - Makes 30 mushrooms, serving 10

Note: The mushroom caps shrink significantly as they cook, so be sure to buy ones that are 11/2 to 2 inches wide. To prepare the mushrooms up to 2 days ahead, roast the caps and stuff them, but do not top with the reserved Parmesan. Arrange the unbaked stuffed mushrooms on a plate, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. To bake, transfer to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and bake as directed in the recipe. You do not need to increase the cooking time.

MUSHROOMS
30 (11/2 to 2 inch wide) white mushroom caps, wiped clean
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch ground black pepper

FILLING
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 large shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
12 ounces white mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme leaves
salt
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (crushed up stale bread - not the pre-packaged kind)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
ground black pepper

1. FOR THE MUSHROOMS: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Toss the mushroom caps with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, then lay gill-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast the mushrooms until they release their juices, about 20 minutes. Flip the caps over and continue to roast until the liquid has evaporated completely and the mushrooms are brown all over, about 10 minutes longer. Remove the mushrooms from the oven, flip gill-side down, and set aside to drain any excess moisture whole preparing the filling (Do not turn off the oven.)

2. FOR THE FILLING: Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chopped mushrooms, thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the mushroom mixture is dry, about 6 minutes. Stir in the sherry and cook until absorbed, about 1 minute. Off the heat, gently stir in the vinegar, bread crumbs, and 6 tablespoons of the Parmesan; season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. TO ASSEMBLE: Flip the roasted mushroom caps gill-side up and spoon about 1 teaspoon of the filling into each cap. Top each mushroom with a pinch of the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake the mushrooms at 450 degrees until the cheese has melted and the filling is warm, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.