Mushrooms Stuffed with Bacon, Blue Cheese, & Dried Cherry

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Pop the stems off the mushrooms, then finely dice the stems. Set aside both the stems and the caps.

In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Add the diced mushroom stems and shallots to the same skillet with the bacon drippings, and give a stir every now and then. Once the shallots and mushrooms have softened (turn the heat down if they are browning too much), about 10 minutes or so, remove them to another paper towel-lined plate to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine the cream cheese and blue cheese. Stir in the thyme, cherries, black pepper, and the cooled bacon, mushroom stems, and shallots. Using a teaspoon, fill the mushroom caps with a mound of the cheesy stuffing.

Place in a baking dish and sprinkle with a bit of bread crumbs. Pop them into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until softened and nicely browned. They are best eaten warm, so just let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving.