Bug Fair - Cooking with Insects

Italian Cricket-stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients - Mushrooms, crickets, bell pepper, seasoning

Looking for an appetizer that tastes great and packs a nutritious punch? These mushrooms, stuffed with chopped green onion, bell pepper, cricket crumbs, and Italian seasoning make a delicious and easy bite of Italian-inspired flavors. You can serve these hot and fresh, or cover and store the mushrooms up to a full day before serving. 


Time: ~40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • ½ - 1 pound of medium whole fresh mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • ¼ cup chopped green onion
  • ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 cup cricket crumbs (dried and whole roasted)
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, if desired

Steps: 

  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. Twist mushroom stems to remove from mushroom caps. Finely chop enough stems to measure 1/3 cup. Reserve mushroom caps.
  3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chopped mushroom stems, onions and bell pepper in butter about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are softened; remove from heat. 
  4. Take whole, dry roasted crickets and grind to cricket crumbs. Mix in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. 
  5. Stir in cricket crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper with the cooked mushroom and vegetable mix. 
  6. Fill mushroom caps with the entire cricket crumb, mushroom, veggie mixture.
  7. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches, in oven. Place mushrooms, filled sides up, in pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15 minutes.
  8. Optional: Set oven control to Broil. Broil mushrooms with tops 3 to 4 inches from heat about 2 minutes or until tops are light brown. Serve hot. (Or refrigerate and serve within 24 hours)