Stuffing mushrooms has been around for so long it seems cliché. But that's ok because they are really tasty and easy to do. Branch out from this recipe and stuff shrooms with anything you like, I love doing a pesto and goat cheese. In Japan a classic comfort dish is grilled shitakes stuffed with seasoned minced chicken and shiso leaves—really outstanding.

My recipe for the portobellos with gingered sweet potato puree is an easy one, and it's fabulous. I made this up for a Thanksgiving dinner years ago using criminis so they were more of a side dish. The sweetness and the gingery tang really plays off the earthy meatiness of the mushrooms. That sweetness is a great way to get kids, picky eaters, and other foolish mushrooms haters to eat them up.

Your sweet potatoes are going to be mashed so you can cook them any way you like. I prefer roasting them in a hot oven until they are soft and the skin looks deflated. Roasting brings out more flavors and caramelizes the sugars which is really tasty. In a pinch you can boil or even microwave the sweet spuds. Let your potatoes cool and scrape the cooked flesh out of the skins and into a bowl, mash with a fork. You can use any mushroom with a good cap for this dish. Smaller mushrooms may cook faster, you can test their doneness by piercing a knife or fork through the cap. If it slides in easily they are done.

INGREDIENTS