Pumpkin and Bacon Stuffed Portobellos with Browned Butter Sage

Here I go stuffing something again. Seems I’m fixated on stuffing things into other things, like avocados with cheesy eggs, portobellos with caprese, bolognese into sweet potatoes, spinach and ricotta into zucchini cannelloni, and of course skillet cookies with Nutella.

And apparently I needed to stuff portobellos. Yet again.

Roasted pumpkin smothered in garlic; crispy bacon and goats cheese stuffed portobello mushrooms drizzled with a browned butter and sage sauce. Lord help me. Because I also apparently have an obsession to browned butter. Browned butter honey garlic salmon….browned butter (low carb) cookies…well. You get my drift.

This all started before a get-together where I was the designated provider of food…after all I have a blog I must have recipes coming out of my ears (or so it seems).

What I wanted to bring was crostini. However, most of the people I associate with are on the no bread train…and taking crostini into a no bread zone would create chaos.

You know you’ve done something right when a room filled with hungry women grows quiet, with escaped moans here and there and looks of absolute pleasure being thrown in my direction. Any man would have loved to be in my shoes.

Picture this: a tray of pumpkin roasted in garlic, smothered in melted butter and sage, with crispy bacon and goats cheese nestled in-between each golden pumpkin piece.

Only to be drizzled in browned butter and crispy sage leaves in the end…

I repeat: a room full of quiet woman. And children.

Pumpkin and Bacon Stuffed Portobellos with Brown Butter Sage

Roasted pumpkin smothered i garlic, crispy bacon and goats cheese stuffed portobello mushrooms drizzled with a browned butter and sage sauce.

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Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sage leaves (stems removed)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups diced pumpkin (butternut or kent)
• 4 large cloves garlic , crushed
• 1/2 cup diced uncured bacon
• large pinch of salt
• 100 g | 3 ,5oz goats cheese
• 4 portobello mushroom caps , washed, thoroughly dried and stems removed

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C | 356°F. Line two baking trays with baking paper or aluminium foil; set aside.
• Combine half of the butter and sage leaves in a small saucepan (or skillet), and melt over high heat. Allow butter to bubble away for about 3 minutes, or until fragrant.
• On the first tray; combine the diced pumpkin, garlic and bacon together. Sprinkle with salt to season; drizzle over the melted butter and oil, and toss to evenly coat. Roast for 30 minutes, mixing pumpkin around once during cooking. Sprinkle over the goats cheese, change oven setting to grill (or broil) on medium heat and continue to cook until pumpkin is slightly crispy on the edges and soft in the centre.
• While pumpkin is roasting, place the portobellos on the second tray (upside down); spray with cooking oil spray, and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Once roasted, drain any liquid from inside the caps and set aside. (If you can fit both trays in the oven, they can be roasted at the same time.)
• Meanwhile, combine remaining butter and sage leaves in the same pan/skillet over high heat. When butter melts and starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium and continue to bubble, while occasionally stirring, until the butter begins to change in colour and smells 'nutty'. Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning.
• Divide the pumpkin/bacon mixture by 4 and spoon into each portobello cap. Drizzle the browned butter over the top and garnish with the crisped sage leaves.