I can now pronounce mesenteric lymphadenitis.
Confused? So was I. But I’ll give you a hint. It is NOT appendicitis, but it DOES present in the same way as appendicitis.
Monday morning started with me waking up and thinking that I had some kind of massive sushi-caused bubble trapped in my digestive system. (Here’s lookin’ at you Spicy Dragon Roll.) But as soon as I stood up, I realized it was most definitely NOT sushi or food related. I could not stand up straight without doubling back over and every movement felt like someone was knifing me in the gut.
I don’t know about you, but there have certainly been a couple moments in my life where I thought, “is this appendicitis?” Maybe it was bad cramps. Maybe it was bad sushi. But suffice it to say that I thought my little tummy ache was hurting enough to possibly be appendicitis. Silver lining after Monday is I can tell you with 100% certainty that when something is inflamed in your lower right quadrant to the extent that you actually need to head to the ER? You. will. know.
Just like you will wake your husband up, tell him something is most definitely wrong, and then hobble down five flights of stairs because in your pain-addled brain, you thought that the close stairwell would somehow be easier than walking the 50 yards to the elevator. (And your husband, who was still pulling on his coat and shoes when you had this brilliant idea gets REAL worried, REAL fast when he jogs to the elevator and can’t find you.)
But the wonderful wonderful docs at Swedish Medical Center were fabulous, gave me the extra good juice, and told me that it was not the appendix, but the lymph nodes hanging out down by the appendix that were all kinds of angry. (Listen, lymph nodes. You and me? We need to talk about your timing. One month before an important work deadline?) So they sent me home with the extra good juice and I ate bon bons and watched some soaps. KIDDING. I worked, ate stuffed mushrooms, and watched Psych reruns.
Bacon & Olive Stuffed Mushrooms
These little appetizers have made an appearance at 99.9% of all Ray family BBQs and/or game nights. Well, not these exact ones. This recipe is a very close adaptation from the stuffed mushrooms my family always made growing up. But it steals the cream cheese idea from my friend’s mom Sue Lowrie’s stuffed mushrooms and adjusts amounts for David’s and my personal preferences (and my unwillingness to chop many mushroom stems).
These stuffed mushrooms are…
- bite-size – perfect for parties and BBQs
- super quick and easy
- easily prepped in advance and refrigerated until oven space is available
- gooey with melty cream cheese
- topped with browned cheese just for good measure
- so so delicious
mikaela | wyldflour
18-22 mushrooms, depending on size
15 minPrep Time
12 minCook Time
27 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 lb mushrooms
- 4 oz cream cheese (fat-free works too, but the full-fat tastes better)
- 1/4 cup chopped black olives
- 1/2 cup bacon bits
- 1/4 cup chopped mushroom stems
- 1 cup marbled cheddar cheese + extra for topping
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet or baking dish with tin foil and set aside.
- Wash the mushrooms under cold water and remove the stems. (Rock the stems back and forth until they pull away from the cap.) Set the caps aside to dry and chop enough stems to give you 1/4 cup.
- In a small mixing bowl, use a spoon to smush together all ingredients besides the mushroom caps. Using your hands, stuff the mushroom caps with enough filling so that the filling is mounded on top of the mushroom. Place on the baking sheet and sprinkle a little bit of extra cheese on top. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
- Bake mushrooms for 10 minutes. Then turn on the broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes, watching them carefully and removing the mushrooms from the oven as soon as the cheese on top starts to brown. Move the mushrooms to a serving plate and enjoy!
Notes
These mushrooms can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple days and reheated, but they really are best the day-of. When they are reheated, the mushrooms release water and it's not quite the same.
Comments