Grilled Pizza Bites (on a mushroom)

Becca here with a recipe that was a huge hit with my family!  When I first saw this recipe for Mushroom Cap Pizza Bites (for Mushroom Haters!) I knew it would be something that I'd be trying.  Because we're all mushroom lovers, so if it's a dish even the haters like, we should love it, right?!  The day I was going to fix them for dinner, adding a few twists of my own of course, it hit me that they would be perfect for the grill.  We have a gas grill at this house that's hooked up to our home's natural gas line, like a kitchen stove would be, so it's super easy & convenient to grill.  Last year I decided I was going to teach myself (I had grilled maybe 2 times, hot dogs both times, in my life before this) and with the help of the lovely internet & a Taste of Home Cookbook I'd highly recommend I quickly grew to love it!  (quick note, we're not affiliates or paid by anyone, all opinions are ours & unbiased & all of that.....and the cookbook right now is showing a 'bargain price' of 6.38 on Amazon right now for me!)  I seriously started grilling dinner at least 3-4 nights a week; we were often outside anyway, and it doesn't heat up the kitchen (and whole house!) like even the stovetop does.  So, without further ado, here's my adaption of the recipe.  You could prepare it in your oven at 400 F if you prefer, using the same steps :)

Grilled Pizza Bites (on a mushroom)

24 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms (aka baby portabellas. Mine were $4.49 at Sam's Club & had 36 mushrooms)

1 cup your favorite pizza or marinara sauce

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese (I use part skim)

1) Turn your grill on.  You want it to be about 400-450 degrees.  That's high on my grill, but natural gas doesn't cook quite as hot as propane, so use your judgment about your grill.

2) Wash your mushrooms (I clean them by wiping them with a wet paper towel, you don't want the gills to fill with water, and that removes all of the dirt).  Snap the stem end part of the mushroom off.  I saved mine in a ziploc bag in the freezer to toss in next time I make easy slow cooker chicken stock because it will add great flavor & depth to the stock, and I don't like to waste anything :) 

3) Place the mushroom caps, cap side down (so it looks like an open cup waiting to be filled with pizza sauce!) on the foil covered hot grill grate, oiled if you think they'll stick to your grill (mine didn't). 

4) Cook 5-10 minutes, or until caps are full of liquid.  Using tongs, quickly dump the liquid out of each mushroom cap, and return it to the grill, empty.

5) Spoon each mushroom cap full of pizza sauce, and then top with a small chunk (or grated) mozzarella cheese.

6) Be sure to close the grill lid, and cook an additional 5-7 minutes, or until mushrooms are beginning to brown, and cheese is really melted.  Serve immediately, enjoy!!