Pesto Lasagna Stuffed Mushrooms

This is the recipe of all recipes! A labor of love, but worth every minute for this low-carb, high-protein, tasty dish!

To be honest, this recipe was created because I had leftover ingredients from making lasagna soup! I thought about what to do with the other half-pound of beef and sausage, ricotta, mozzarella, and fresh basil. I also had some homemade pesto in the fridge and the butt of a sourdough loaf. So just like that, a low-carb version of lasagna was born!

While this recipe requires some time and use of a few different dishes, trust me when I say it's worth it. Since I already had leftover homemade pesto, that part was easy for me. If you're going to go the homemade route, make the pesto ahead of time! I also made the breadcrumbs ahead of time, so I didn't have to worry about that clean-up/extra step. You can also save your time and energy by just going with store-bought pesto and breadcrumbs (of course it just won't be as tasty)! One more tip I'll share to save you the frustration I've been through with stuffed mushrooms, is to use a baking dish rather than a baking sheet. The sides of the dish help keep the mushrooms up-right and in tact to hold all the filling in!

Serve these with a side Caesar salad or your favorite green veggie, and enjoy! ☺️

Pesto Lasagna Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 4 large portobello mushrooms

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 lb hot Italian sausage

• 1/2 lb ground beef

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced finely

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp dried parsley

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• sea salt & pepper to taste

• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese

• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

• 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup pesto (homemade or store-bought)

• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (*homemade or store-bought)

• Fresh basil or parsley to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil and cook onion and garlic for about 3 minutes.

2. Add sausage and ground beef and cook until browned.

3. Transfer meat mixture to a bowl and add ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and pepper.

4. Prep the mushrooms - trim any excess stem of each mushroom. Brush with olive oil and bake at 350° F for about 5 minutes.

5. Layer each mushroom first with pesto, then the meat and cheese mixture, and top with the breadcrumbs.

6. Bake at 350° F for another 10-12 minutes.

7. Optional to top with fresh basil or parsley, and serve warm.

*Breadcrumbs:

1. Roughly chop or rip up sourdough bread (I like to use stale or the butt end of a loaf), toss with olive oil, and toast in the oven at 400° F until lightly crispy.

2. Once cooled, pulse in a blender or food processor with Parmesan cheese and sea salt.