Mushroom Asiago & Thyme Bread Cups

Mushroom Asiago & Thyme Bread Cups, the perfect appetizer for a mushroom lover that is easy to eat and packed with mushroom flavor, crisp toasty bread seasoned wonderfully with good organic ingredients, and of course some melted Asiago cheese to top it off.

Song of the day: Barry White - Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Baby.

Mushroom Asiago & Thyme Bread Cups, finger food at its best with these beautiful bowls of seasoned toasted bread that house wonderfully sauteed crimini mushrooms, held in place with beautiful melted Asiago cheese and topped with a sprig of fresh thyme. Perfect for a supper starter, even better for a party pleaser appetizer.

Nicoletta: Every time my father would leave early in the morning to go on his mushroom "hunt", we knew that my mother wasn't happy. She hated it when he told her he would go, for a couple of reasons. First, she was worried about him going up in the mountains alone, especially years ago when there were no cell phones around, searching for mushrooms in the woods, through valleys and crevices, where she knew you could find all kinds of animals, including vipers, one of her biggest fears. Second, even if my father has a mushroom license and he knows what he's picking, she wouldn't eat wild mushrooms, too afraid of dying from eating a bad one, too many stories in her head of fatal incidences. My brother and I, there's a different story, we loved when my dad brought home a basket full of mushrooms. Only the three of us would feast on the "bounty".

Loreto: Even though I was not born in Italy, the feelings were pretty much the same. Maybe in my early years, mushrooms were not high on my list, but when I started to understand food and began to enjoy cooking which was around age 8, the excitement for mushroom picking began. Like Nicoletta's dad, my dad too was an expert mushroom guy. Very knowledgeable, grew up in the country side of Italy. My mother, on the other hand, was like Nicoletta's mom, leery of anything wild especially wild mushrooms, tainted by all the fearful stories of people dying from eating what they thought were good mushrooms, but turned out to be poisonous. I don't know if all the stories were true, I trusted my dad and really enjoyed going to the countryside and learning how to pick mushrooms and which one you would definitely not touch. Am I an expert, no, but I am an expert at eating them that is for sure!

N.: The mushrooms my father picked and brought back home if he had a good harvest, were carefully and gently selected, brushed, cleaned and divided between eating them right away and freezing them for a later use. What dish was made with the wild mushrooms, you're asking? Well, as you can easily guess, mostly a pasta dish, especially if the mushrooms he found were the meaty and always sought after porcini. "Fettuccine with porcini mushroom" is a staple in Italian cooking. Our plate would be filled with juicy morsels of mushrooms, while my mother would ask for just plain fettuccine, but I could see her eyeing our plates with a mixture of envy and worried eyes.

L: I was not familiar with porcini mushrooms until I went to Italy and I tasted them for the first time. I was in awe at the flavor and texture of them and how well they went with the fettucine. We would come home after picking mushrooms and my dad would take care of the cleaning. I never had them in a pasta, my dad would saute them in olive oil, perperoncino, (chilies), salt and pepper with just a touch of wine at the end for added flavor. I just remember diving into that plate of mushrooms and enjoying the flavor and plump texture so much. I remember BBQ's and having them on my steak too, absolutely delicious, not to mention on pizza an all time favorite of mine! Mushrooms that were familiar to me were crimini, and button top, also oyster a favorite, and chanterelle. I have to say an all time favorite is a dish that they serve at a local vegan restaurant in Edmonton called Padmanadi's. They have this mushroom deluxe dish that is all mushroom of various breed, and all extremely delicious, in that ever so rich sauce, yum! So hearing of Mushrooms Canada contests both Nicoletta and I were very excited as we both love working with this incredible food.

N.: I've always loved mushrooms, wild or farmed, and I am glad in our family, now, everybody loves them so we can bring them to the table once a week. Our favorite recipes include pasta dishes, appetizers, side dishes, and wherever our creativity leads us. This Mushroom Asiago & Thyme Bread Cups are our contribution to the Appetizer Spotlight FBC2017 presented by Mushrooms Canada. We enjoyed making them and most of all eating them. They were gone fast and among sounds of pleasure.

L.: I absolutely love these mushroom bread cups. The bread wonderfully seasoned with that amazing organic olive oil and fresh thyme flavor coming through with every crispy bite. The mushrooms hold nicely in the bowl of bread with that amazing melted Asiago cheese adding such a creaminess under and over top the mushrooms. The mushrooms themselves explode with their unmistakable rich earthy flavor accompanied by sauteed garlic and thyme which marry well with all the flavors happening in this dish. I love the juiciness of the mushrooms and how the bread just absorbs all that flavor leaving none to waste, fulfilling our motto "Waste not want not".

N.: Finger food has to be easy to eat, balanced in flavor, and appealing to the eye. These Mushroom Asiago & Thyme Bread Cups hit all three points making them a great addition to any social gathering.

L.: One thing that always attracts me to an appetizer is the smell. It is one of our most powerful senses and when something smells wonderful, you can rest assured that it will be a crowd pleaser. I can tell you from my experience these appetizers had me hooked right away.

N. and L.: We always want that our guests have the best experience. Give these Mushroom Asiago & Thyme Bread Cups a try, the aroma will entice them and after the first bite you'll see how much they're enjoying them, their facial expression and vocal appreciation will be confirmation that you have a hit on your hands.

Song of the day: Barry White - Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Baby.

Mushroom Asiago & Thyme Bread Cups

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Mushroom Asiago & Thyme Bread Cups, the perfect appetizer for a mushroom lover that is easy to eat and packed with mushroom flavor, crisp toasty bread seasoned wonderfully with good organic ingredients, and of course some melted Asiago cheese to top it off.

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 12 bread cups 1x

Ingredients

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Bread:

• 3 large slices of white sandwich bread
• 2 Tbsp e.v.o. oil
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• pinch salt

Mushrooms:

• 500 g crimini mushrooms, cleaned, chopped
• ¼ yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic whole
• 1 tsp pepper
• pinch paprika
• salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp fresh thyme (1 Tbsp if using dried thyme)
• 1 tsp water
• 2 Tbsp e.v.o. oil
• 100 g mild Asiago cheese, grated
• fresh sprigs of thyme for garnishing

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Instructions

Bread:

1. Cut bread slices into even quarters.
2. Place bread squares in a bowl, little at a time and drizzle with olive oil and dried oregano.
3. Toss well being careful to not break bread.
4. Set aside.

Mushrooms:

1. Wash and clean mushrooms and let drain.
2. Wash thyme and let dry.
3. Cut mushrooms into thin slices.
4. In a large saute pan drizzle in olive oil-
5. Toss in onions and whole garlic, pressing garlic down a bit to release some flavor.
6. Saute for 2 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
7. Place cut mushrooms into saute pan and saute for about 2 minutes.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Add in fresh thyme and water, and saute for 8 minutes.
10. Take off heat and set aside.

Bread cups:

1. With a brush oil cup cake molds with olive oil, making sure to coat sides and bottom well-
2. Take individual bread squares and press into molds forming a cup.
3. Place some grated Asiago cheese into the bottom.
4. take a heaping teaspoon of the mushroom mixture and place into bread cups.
5. Top with a pinch of grated Asiago cheese, and a small sprig of fresh thyme.
6. Place molds on a baking sheet.
7. Pre- heat oven to 375°F-
8. Place mushroom Asiago bread cups into oven and bake for 15 minutes.
9. Take out of oven, let cool for 1 minute.
10. With a long fork carefully take bread cups out of mold.
11. Plate and serve.
12. Enjoy!

• Author: Loreto and Nicoletta
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Appetizers
• Method: Cooking, Baking

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Nicoletta

I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.