Mushroom Dip
Have you ever eaten something when you were younger (think back to 10 or 11) and thought to yourself “wow this is REALLY tasty for grown-up food” ? Well, that’s what this whole entry is about.
I’m sure you’ve read many times of me waxing-poetic about how much my parents loved to go out for brunch & entertain at home when I was younger, well obviously these 2 loves have been passed down to me because I LOVE brunch & LOVE hosting fun parties at home now as an adult! It was definitely bred into me & I am better for it.
I remember my first mushroom…
Well, this particular recipe is one that I asked my mom about a few months ago & she LIT UP with memories of happiness. She was like “oh yes, I remember that! It was definitely delicious! I can’t remember every single ingredient but if I tasted it, I would know it anywhere!” – funny enough, that was my thought too. I particularly remember trying this Mushroom Dip that Judy had made and it was deliciously warm, thick without being gloopy, and it just had SO many delicious and rich flavors that I seriously know I was thinking “I’m gonna remember this for the rest of my life” – shit, I tell you what, I did & I have.
Have you ever tasted something and are IMMEDIATELY transported?? Like, damn it hits you right in the nostalgia. Everything comes into focus – memories are crystal clear, you remember the weather, what you might have been wearing, who you might have been talking to when you eat something presently to take you back to your past.
effectually
Food is amazing & can have that effect on you. Just like certain smells, I am immediately transported back to a gathering at our home with my Godparents. It wasn’t a “party” perse, but it was probably 8-10 of us and Judy was just CRANKING out appetizers and this one hit me right in the sweet spot!
IDK about y’all but I wasn’t given the opportunity to be a picky eater. I was told “try it once & if you don’t like it, you never have to try it again” – fair enough. So let’s take a deep dive, shall we? BEETS. Hate them. They taste like straight dirt. Not a fan. Never had to eat one again. Good for me. Mushrooms & Onions were also part of that equation. Luckily, they were hard YESES for me. I love a good mushroom. Judy made some bangin’ Stuffed Mushrooms back in the day! Now that I think about it….I’ll put that shit in the memory bank for a future blog recipe because she always made them for a Holiday appetizer. YUM.
So, my Mushroom Dip is an ode to Judy even if this isn’t her exact-science recipe, but it sure brought me back. But the flavors meld together & make something OH SO delicious and unexpected. Warm & gooey but not overly-cheesy to coverup the delicious fresh mushrooms & their flavor. I paired this dip with lightly oiled & warmed garlic pita from Trader Joe’s & let’s just say, a cracker has no business here.
Fall is coming up & I truly believe this would be a welcome sight at any bonfire, book club, happy hour or cozy evening in! Unfortunately for me, y’all know I married the Prince of Picky-ness…..aka Christopher Deane. So this delicacy will never go anywhere near a table that Mr. Deane is seated at because he hates mushrooms. His loss. Let’s Get To It!
Ingredients
• 1 PKG Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms, 16 OZ
• 1 block Light Cream Cheese, 8 OZ – softened
• ½ cup Light DUKE’S Mayo
• 2 TBS Dijon Mustard
• 2 TBS Worcestershire
• 2 medium Shallots, finely diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely diced
• ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 TBS Olive Oil
• 2 Naan or Pita
Instructions, 1
This dip comes together in simple steps & is OH SO easy too! – perfect to make ahead the day before and pop in the oven if you’re having company and don’t want to sweat over cleaning up dishes!
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees – to heat BOTH the pita & dip at the same time!
I would start by LIGHTLY oiling my pita bread. I used Naan because I like the chew & its what I had in my fridge. I usually use Olive Oil Cooking Spray so its not messy & so I’m not using a ton of unnecessary oil.
Firstly, I sincerely hope you know how to properly clean mushrooms. Especially sliced ones. Ain’t nothin’ worse than a water-logged mushroom. YUCK.
I usually take a damp paper towel & gently wipe the mushroom and then lay them on a dry paper towel and wipe again.
Mushrooms are very porous and will absorb TONS of water if they are rinsed or soaked. GROSS. The result is that they will be mushy and slimy as hell – NOT what we want for this dip.
So gently wipe all your mushrooms & have them on a dry paper towel at the ready.
Next, dice both the shallots & garlic – set aside.
***I’ll amend this recipe from my pictures because I care.*** Like I mentioned above, I haven’t seen / eaten or attempted this dish since I was literally 11 or 12 years old so WORK WITH ME.
The pictures show WHOLE SLICES of mushroom & while that’s all fine and well – it was hard to schmear on my pita wedge & even harder to take a lady-like bite. I like to eat but I’m not an animal!
So, I would cut my mushroom slices into 1/3 pieces so it still resembles a mushroom but its not diced to shreds. The point of this dip is to use fresh & recognizable ingredients rather than canned (BLECH), and mushrooms chopped to bits & dust have no place here!
Heat a skillet large enough to hold all your mushrooms over medium heat.
Drizzle in the olive oil & drop in your mushrooms.
Stir them around for about 2 minutes just so they get some heat and color on them, nothing crazy.
Next stir in BOTH the diced shallots & diced garlic.
YUM it will start to smell like absolute mushroom-heaven!
Now is the time to pour in the Worcestershire sauce – give everything a little sizzle!
Continue to stir all your ingredients around for another 2 minutes or so. The key is to heat everything thru, not exactly cook or burn everything!
Instructions, 2
Turn off your heat & just let everything hang out in the pan while you get your DIP ingredients together.
Mix together the Duke’s Mayo, Cream Cheese, and Dijon Mustard.
Pour everything from the pan (your mushroom mixture) directly into the creamy Dip base.
Give everything a good stir – add in the Parmesan Cheese & ½ cup of Mozzarella Cheese – save the other ½ cup of Mozzarella for topping your dip! *wink*
Squeeze in the lemon juice & continue to stir well. Give it a taste if you want! Everything is “cooked” so you’ll have an idea IF you need to add any Salt or Pepper – obviously I don’t have it listed because the Worcestershire makes everything a little salty but definitely add it if you wish!
Pour the entirety of your bowl into a greased casserole dish – make sure you choose a pretty one! *wink*
& shit, sorry but I honestly don’t know how big your casserole dish needs to be because my pictures show a BABY casserole dish – its literally my 4x4 La Creuset Heritage Square dish that I absolutely LOOOOVE if I’m making a half recipe or just having a couple of gals over – not too much fuss!
Sooo maybe an 8x8 dish if you have one? IDK just go with it.
Top with the remaining ½ cup of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese.
Cover with tin foil & bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.
Uncover & bake for an additional 10-12 minutes to get a little bubble on your Mozzarella topper. Your oiled Naan or Pita will go in for the remaining 10-12 minutes as well – flip your pita halfway!
Omgggg this is going to be the NEW THING in your house – if you like mushrooms as much as I do. The key here is that you can literally taste EVERY layer of ingredients – the rich mushrooms, the tang from the lemon & Dijon, the creaminess of the mayo & cream cheese…..let’s not forget that extra zing from the garlic & shallots! THIS DIP WAS MADE IN DIP HEAVEN I SWEAR.
Allow your pita to cool & cut into triangles, arrange on a plate & serve immediately with your mushroom dip! It will be a hit! Not overly heavy so this would be perfect alongside a meat & cheese charcuterie board since the Mushroom Dip itself isn’t overly-cheesy either!
Bella of the Ball
This dip brings SO MANY emotions, I can’t even tell you. It just makes me happy. I’m seriously thrilled that I could remember this from my childhood & recreate it.
I personally believe that mushrooms get a bad rep because people don’t know how to prepare them!
People usually panic and opt for canned mushrooms – umm hello they are 1 color, 1 dimensional & usually slimy all on their own so HARD PASS.
Learning to properly clean mushrooms is the true game-changer because then you won’t run into the problems of wilted, gross & slimy mushrooms that so many people are afraid of – I think that’s why mushrooms are so underrated.
I love them on pizza especially because the heat dries them out & their form is *chefs kiss* because they DEFINITELY aren’t slimy – they are a slightly dried, chewy texture that has the perfect bite with a spicy pepperoni & stringy cheese!
I know I said Naan OR Pita but I’m gonna go ahead & say…..opt for the Naan. I love Pita but it is much thinner than Naan and doesn’t give that pillowy chew that my Mushroom Dip deserves. UGH ITS JUST THAT GOOD.
Let me know what you think & when / for what you plan to serve this Mushroom Dip for! My offer is : serve it ANYWHERE & EVERYWHERE Mushroom lovers are!
Thanks for stopping by!
I appreciate you stopping by! If you loved it, I’d love to hear from you.
If you hated it, then same.
Have a great day & look for my next entry!
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