Easy Dinner Idea: Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms

These low carb, protein-packed Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms will satisfy your pizza craving without carby crusty. Your non-bariatric surgery friends and family will love these too. Hello?! Gooey, warm and melty cheese, what's not to love?!

Shelly's Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms

12 Large Mushrooms
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
a few twists of Black Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup Mozarella, shredded
1/8 cup mini Pepperoni Slices (*optional)

Clean and carefully remove the stem from each mushroom cap (save for soup) place in a lightly oiled baking pan in a 350 oven for 15 minutes. Remove for oven and carefully (hot) empty mushroom juices that have expelled from the mushrooms. Set mushrooms aside while you make the filling. Blend ricotta, parmesan, and seasonings together till well combined.

Fill each partially cooked mushroom cap with ricotta filling mixture. Top with a tablespoon of tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, and optional mini pepperoni or another topping of your choice (sliced black olives and cooked crumbled sausage are great too.) Bake for additional 15 minutes.

Perfect just as they are or with a little green salad or on top of zucchini noodles for lunch or dinner. They reheat in the microwave well too... and I may have done that for breakfast the next day. Shhh, don't tell anyone.

Hope you enjoy them.

Summer Night Dinner Idea: Tidbit Party

It's been super hot and muggy here the past few weeks. Hot is normal for my neck of the woods but muggy is not. Usually, the breeze kicks up in the afternoon and temperatures drop pretty quickly... like 30-40 degree drop from daytime temps. It hasn't been doing that but finally, last night felt a little different... a beautiful cool breeze kicked up. More please Mother Nature. I'm so done with summer. I want to cook some casseroles and wear sweaters.

I guess my favorite thing about cooler nights being back is being able to have more "Tidbit Parties" for dinner... that's what we call platters with cheese, cold cuts, olives, grilled or raw veggies, etc. I was just watching a Real Housewives episode (mindless guilty pleasure) and a kid called his Mom's cheese and veggie platter "Organized Food" which I thought was cute. Whatever you call it... I call it part of a perfect evening... starry skies, good conversation, lots of laughs and CHEESE! Some of my favorite pics of past Tidbit Parties...

It's actually all perfect meal for us bariatric surgery post-ops... low carb, protein-packed, moderate fat... and your non-op family and friends will love it too.