Stuffed mushrooms an alternative to peppers

If the price of peppers has you thinking twice about serving them stuffed, here’s an alternative that uses mushrooms, instead.

The filling – made with meat, rice and goat cheese – will remind you of a stuffed pepper, but is instead served on overturned portabella mushrooms. We chose to grill ours over low heat, but they also could be prepared in the oven at 325 degrees.

Grilled Sausage-Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

8.5-ounce package ready-serve brown rice (or blend of brown and wild rice)

4-ounce log goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage meat

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 large portabella mushroom caps, stems  removed

Heat a grill to high.

In a medium bowl, combine the rice, goat cheese, parsley, sausage meat, salt and pepper. Mix well.

One at a time, use a bit of the olive oil to rub the tops of the mushrooms. Overturn each mushroom cap (gills facing up) and loosely pack about an eighth of the sausage mixture in it.

Arrange the mushrooms on the grill, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender and show deep grill marks, and the sausage filling is cooked through, about another 8 to 10 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 285 calories; 96 calories from fat; 11 grams fat (4 grams saturated; 0 grams trans fats); 24 milligrams cholesterol; 30 grams carbohydrate; 17 grams protein; 3 grams fiber; 534 milligrams sodium.