We all know that the turkey and sides are the stars of Thanksgiving, but there needs to be a little something to nibble on before the feast so people don’t knock each other over like ravenous fiends when the buffet is ready.

Inevitably I end up making too many snacks, but my excuse is that I never know if I’ll have a few people “helping out in the kitchen” for the hours leading up to dinner, or if the entire crowd will be at the house hanging out for drinks and watching football.

I like to assign Thanksgiving appetizers to someone else when I can and ask them to keep them fairly simple: some type of tray with fruit, veggies, crackers and sliced cheese or a cheese ball.  This year I am not hosting, we get to be the guests, but I’ll be taking a few dishes to add to the spread.

My main goal was to find something that wouldn’t appeal to the kids so they’d be less likely to eat so much that they ruin their dinner.  I’d rather they eat fruit, if that’s there to snack on.  An added bonus: just by saying the word mushroom the kids will come nowhere near them, so their grubby little hands won’t be picking them up and down!

Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps

• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 – 8oz package softened cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• pinch of salt
• 24 – 30 fresh whole white mushrooms
• 1/8 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 can lump crab meat
• fresh arugula (if desired)
• fresh rosemary (if desired)

Preheat oven to 375°F

• Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper
• Using a fine mesh colander or a regular colander lined with cheesecloth, break up the crab to make sure no shell remains and leave it to drain
• Clean and dry mushrooms
• Remove stems, trim rough edges, then chop stems and set aside
• Place caps (empty cavity up) on the baking sheet
• Heat oil in a small pan.  Stir in chopped stems, celery, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook until moisture disappears.  Remove from heat
• Stir in crab, cayenne pepper, onion powder, black pepper, parmesan cheese, and cream cheese.
• Use a spoon to fill each of the mushroom caps and return them to baking sheet
• Bake in pre-heated oven 20 minutes

Serve immediately on a platter lined with fresh arugula and sprigs of rosemary if desired.

Another great thing about this crab stuffed mushroom recipe is that it is easily matched with the wines you are already likely to be serving with your Thanksgiving feast:

• Pinot Grigio
• Champagne
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Soave
• Pinot Noir

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