Cheeseburger Stuffed Mushrooms

Do you find yourself struggling to get out of bed? Do you have inner conversations with yourself in the morning that talk you out of going to the gym or working out? Would you rather lay in bed for an hour scrolling through your phone than getting up and taking on the day?

I would mark ‘yes’ to all of those things if this was a legitimate questionnaire. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to starting the day on a positive note, working out, blogging, and eating healthy. That inner monologue that runs through my brain screams ‘KEEP SLEEPING!’ when my alarm goes off. It’s a constant battle to just get the day started.

However, I’ve found something that’s helpful: watching YouTube tutorials while working out. It gives me something to look forward to, makes my workouts go by much quicker, and is highly entertaining. I’ve also started following up my workout with a juice/smoothie (sorta keto, of course). Today it was spinach, cucumber, ginger, grapefruit & mint. One small cup of that stuff and I was ready to take over the world.

So if you’re sluggish in the mornings or if you’re constantly in a battle with yourself, here’s my advice: switch it up! Switch up your routine in the mornings until you land on something that makes you feel good.

Now, let’s talk food. I’m talking hearty, meaty, cheesy food. Stuffed mushrooms piled high with a cheeseburger mixture is just what the doctor ordered. I made these delicious morsels as a snack last week and found myself sneaking them out of the fridge. The cheeseburger mixture is perfection. It tastes exactly like chomping down into a big, juicy burger.

Here’s the thing about mushrooms: they’re dirty. You have to wash them before you cook them. But wait! You can’t just run them under the faucet like berries or greens. Mushrooms let out a lot of moisture in the cooking process, and if you run them under some water, you’ll end up with a watery mess at the end of the cooking time.

My solution: use a damp towel or paper towel and rub the dirt off of each cap. It’s time consuming, sure. It’s a hassle, I get it. But if you don’t want your cooked mushrooms to be swimming in an ocean of brown water, then this is the best solution.

PS: I found this recipe in a collection from my grandma. I don’t think she ever made it, so this one’s dedicated to her!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Place hollowed out mushroom caps (hollow side up) in a large baking dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until tender and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add ground chuck, garlic powder, salt and pepper and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until beef is browned, about 5-6 minutes.

Drain beef and onion mixture and then place into a large bowl.

Stir in ketchup, mustard, pickles and cheese.

Spoon beef mixture into mushroom caps (you may end up with more beef mixture than mushrooms).

Top with shredded cheddar and bake until mushrooms are browned and cheese is melted, around 10-12 minutes.