Baked Cheese & Garlic Stuffed Field Mushrooms

Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C for fan-forced). From my experience, maintaining the right oven temperature is crucial for a uniform and perfect roasting of the mushrooms.

Clean the mushrooms by gently wiping them with a damp cloth. Remove the stems, chop them finely and set aside. Remember to handle the mushrooms delicately to avoid damaging them.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté it until translucent — usually takes about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and the finely chopped mushroom stems and cook for another 5 minutes.

In the meantime, blend the stale bread in a food processor until it turns into crumbs. I've found that stale bread delivers a more desirable and crispy texture than fresh bread.

Take the pan off the heat and add the bread crumbs, parsley, shredded cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well until all the ingredients are uniformly distributed.

Stuff each mushroom cap with the mixture and place them on a baking tray. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the stuffed mushrooms — it gives them a nice golden color and enhances their flavor.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the stuffing has turned golden brown on top. I suggest keeping a close eye on the mushrooms towards the end of baking time, as they can burn easily.