Although the holidays may be over, there is never a bad time for finger food appetizers. Especially when they’re vegetable-forward and easy to make, like this recipe. I took inspiration from a Martha Stewart recipe that my mom and I have come back to for years. To add some more flavor and color, I added a handful of fresh spinach and some bacon. These can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon, and they will still be a delicious bite. Even for non-mushroom lovers like myself, this is one of my favorites. Try this out for a fun and simple way to add some more vegetables to your dinner table.

Ingredients:

• 8-10 oz crimini mushrooms (stems removed)
• 5 oz soft goat cheese
• 5 slices of bacon (fried and chopped)
• 3 slices sandwich bread
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup spinach leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Pan fry bacon until crisp and set aside on paper towels to dry excess grease.
3. Using a food processor, pulse bread and garlic until they become fine crumbs. Set 1/2 cup aside. Add goat cheese, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Pulse until all of this is combined.
4. In a large bowl, add bacon and goat cheese mixture and fold to combine.
5. Spoon this filling into each mushroom cap and top with reserved breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until mushrooms have begun to brown and are tender.