Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Prefer not to line it? Rub lightly with oil. Measure out all ingredients first for speedier stuffage!
2. Clean mushrooms by dusting off the caps with a slightly damp paper towel. Remove the stems and set aside for chopping. Place mushroom tops (hole side up) on your baking sheet.
3. Clean stems by rinsing well with water and finely mince. You should end up with just about 2 cups chopped stems.
4. Measure out spinach by packing leaves into the measuring cup then chop on a cutting board. I like to roll/form it into a little compact pile, then carefully cut into vertical shreds then chop horizontally into small pieces.
5. Peel and mince garlic.
6. Melt butter in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and add minced mushroom stems and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes then add the spinach.
7. Once the spinach has wilted, add cream cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir it all up until the cream cheese has melted.
8. Remove from heat. Fold in the cheese. (cue Moira rose impression here)
9. Give the filling a taste and adjust spices as desired.
10. Spoon spinach mixture into each mushroom cap.
11. Sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs for an optional but tasty topping.
12. Bake at 375°F for approx. 15-20 minutes or until filling is hot and melty and the mushrooms are deliciously tender. Larger mushrooms may need to bake a bit longer so just check for doneness and you're good to go! Dive in while they're hot and enjoy!

MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS

1. I've had good luck with making these a few hours ahead of time and even the night before. Save the panko step for just before baking. Keep stuffed mushrooms tightly wrapped with foil on a baking sheet or plate in the fridge. Since chilled mushrooms will take a little longer to bake you can take them out to thaw for 30 minutes before baking or bake an additional 10-15 minutes, as needed.