I love adventures, in both the great outdoors and the kitchen. As such, I am rarely one to hold tight to traditions. Instead, I am the one in my family pushing for new activities and modifications to our holiday meals. That said, there are a few foods that I hold near and dear. And no matter if the occasion is a holiday party or summer barbeque, they always seem to find their way onto my menu. With the transition to a grain and dairy free lifestyle, I am learning to adapt these recipes to capture the same essence as the originals.

One such recipe is my stuffed mushrooms. I made them for the first time 10 years ago, and they have been a staple hors d’oeuvre at potlucks and cocktail parities ever since. But since switching to a Paleo lifestyle, I had yet to try out a non-dairy version (the originals were adorned with a melty crust of aged Dubliner cheddar cheese).

I finally found the inspiration this month to recreate my classic stuffed mushrooms, thanks to Paleo Pen Pal, Beth.

For our mystery ingredient exchange, Beth sent me an exquisite wild boar salami, artistically crafted from the pork of one of her favorite local farmers. The salami was delicious on its own (I admit that I tried a slice), so I was excited to try it out in a recipe. Exchanging emails with Beth and learning about her family reminded me of happy times with my own family. It was the perfect pairing: nostalgia for family traditions and a rich, savory ingredient.

So, in honor of family, new friends in the Paleo community and nutrient dense living, I bring you these Stuffed Mushrooms with Wild Boar Salami. Hopefully you will find them a worthy addition to your own traditions.

Notes:

To save time, you can make your Cashew Cream Cheese a few days in advance (it will keep for about 2 weeks). Just store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

Substitutions:

If you don’t have wild boar salami, you can use organic, uncured bacon instead. Just crisp up 3 pieces and crumble into small bits.
To make this recipe vegan, simply omit the salami or bacon altogether. I developed the original stuffed mushroom recipe when I was vegetarian, and they still turned out delicious.

stuffed mushrooms with wild boar salami

YIELD: 24 mushrooms (8 Servings)
PREP: 20 mins
COOK: 20 mins
READY IN: 40 mins

These decadent stuffed mushrooms with wild boar salami make a rich and savory starter for a meal, or serve them as a stand-along hors d'oeuvre at your next cocktail party.

ingredients

1 8 oz. package baby bella mushrooms
1/2 white onion minced fine
1 clove garlic minced fine
1/2 cup cashew cream cheese
1/4 cup wild boar salami chopped extra fine
1/4 cup stock beef, chicken or vegetable
salt to taste
pepper to taste
cooking fat ghee, coconut oil or meat fat

instructions

Start with a beautiful wild boar salami.
Gently wipe off mushrooms with a damp paper towel and snap off stems, leaving the tops intact.
Lay mushrooms out on a baking stone, tops down, and splash a little bit of stock into each cap just to fill. Put in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until tender.
While your mushrooms cook, mince the mushroom stems. Heat your cooking fat (I used leftover bacon fat) in a cast iron skillet, and add minced onions and garlic. Sauté until clear, about 3 minutes, then add minced mushroom stems and sauté another 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are tender.
Stir in cashew cream cheese, wild boar salami and a dash or salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.
Remove mushroom caps from oven. Gently fill each cap with a rounded teaspoon of your cashew cream cheese mixture. You should have just enough filling to stuff all the mushrooms.
Pop the mushrooms back in the oven at 400 degrees for another 5 minutes until heated through and cashew cream cheese begins to bubble slightly on top. Remove from oven and serve.