Sweet Italian Sausage & Roasted Chestnut Stuffed Mushrooms PLUS a Giveaway from Mrs. Cubbison’s **Giveaway CLOSED**

I recently received a sample package from Mrs. Cubbison’s and you have the opportunity to receive an even better gift package!  Check out what I made with their Mrs. Cubbison’s Classic Dressing and then there’s info on the giveaway at the bottom of the post.

I was asked recently to try a Mrs. Cubbison’s product and use it in an original recipe.  They sent a sample package which included a box of Mrs. Cubbison’s Classic Dressing.  Well with Thanksgiving coming up I figured that everyone would have a one track mind thinking and stressing about whether to make stuffing inside their turkey or dressing in a side casserole.  Honestly I don’t need the stress and just wanted something a bit different, so what better than a nice little appetizer which includes that holiday favorite, stuffing. 

What’s nice about this recipe is that it’s really versatile, so if you don’t want to make stuffed mushrooms, just follow the recipe and use it to either stuff your bird or put it in a casserole dish and serve it as dressing.  No matter which way you go, this is one delicious stuffing/dressing.

When I opened the Mrs. Cubbison’s Classic Dressing, it smelled like Thanksgiving with all the herbs and spices already there, I’d bet that this dressing would be delicious on its own but I’m the type of girl who has to always add to a recipe and switch it around, but I found out that there are some who don’t add a thing, other than liquid, to store-bought stuffing mix.  Who knew?    

By the way, do you call it stuffing or dressing?  Well, Mrs. Cubbison's was interested in all these questions, along with some other interesting holiday facts like, do you use store-bought stuffing mix and what do you add to your stuffing?  To find all the answers Mrs. Cubbison’s conducted a Thanksgiving Across America Survey.  Did you know that the number one item handed down from generation to generation is the stuffing/dressing recipe?  It’s a fact that I didn’t know so I guess you learn something new everyday.  I wasn’t part of the survey but I’m going to give you a little insight into the Cook Lisa Cook home as I’m going to answer all the questions here and now.  Click on the Thanksgiving Across America Survey link to see how my answers compared and how your answers compare as well, it’s quite interesting based on gender and where we live.  Our demographics in the Cook Lisa Cook home are, I’m a New Englander, married to a Londoner, our daughter is from China and we live in Georgia. 

Here are my answers to all the survey questions:  

Q:  What is your favorite holiday? 
A:  Thanksgiving as it’s all about family and food.

Q:  To whom or for what will you be giving thanks this year? 
A:  Family and health.

Q:  Who did you spend Thanksgiving with last year? 
A:  Last year it was just me, Eammon, Maisie and my parents.  We had been invited to a friend’s home but I was sick, trying to get over a major case of pneumonia, we just the week prior to Thanksgiving found out that Maisie was allergic to wheat, egg & dairy and I was still trying to find my way with food for her and my Mom wasn’t feeling well so it was just our Intimate group of five.

Q:  Who/where do you go for help with the menu? 
A:  The internet, I love finding new and interesting recipes online but year to year I tend to make our traditional favorites.

Q:  Who were the cook(s) at the Thanksgiving meal you attended last year? 
A:  I did all of the cooking and my Mom helped with a lot of the prep-work. 

Q:  What is the farthest someone has travelled to attend your Thanksgiving dinner? 
A:  My parents travel over 800 miles (round trip) each year to enjoy Thanksgiving with us.

Q:  What are favorite items for the Thanksgiving meal? 
A:  1st: my Spice Rubbed Turkey with Cognac Gravy, 2nd: stuffing,  3rd: my totally awesome Corn Soufflé, all must haves for it to feel, taste & smell like Thanksgiving.

Q:  What are your favorite items for Thanksgiving leftovers?    
A:  A flaky, buttery croissant filled with sliced turkey, stuffing, sweet potato and cranberry sauce and for Eammon, turkey dump soup which includes turkey, all the leftovers including the veggies, stuffing, Corn Soufflé and even the remaining gravy.  Everything goes in his soup but the sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce.

Q:  Which items have been handed down from previous generations at your Thanksgiving?  
A:  Though my Mom is an awesome cook and made fabulous Thanksgiving meals when I was growing up, I don’t use any of her Thanksgiving recipes.  But check out her “Grandma’s Teriyaki Steak” recipe as it’s one of Maisie’s favorite meals.

Q:  Do you make your stuffing from scratch or do you use store-bought stuffing mix? 
A:  I am a store-bought stuffing mix kind of gal.  I guess I get that from my Mom as she’s the same.

Q:  Which term do you use:  stuffing, dressing, both or something else?
A:  I call it stuffing if I stuff it into something but call it dressing if I make it in a casserole dish.

Q:  How do you cook your stuffing?
A:  I cook it on the stovetop and finish it in the oven in a casserole dish.

Q:  What ingredients do you like to add to the stuffing when you cook it? 
A:  Onions top my list and are always included.  Roasted chestnuts, mushrooms and carrots are up there too as favorite add-ins.  Honestly it just depends on my mood, who’s going to be eating it, and the direction I want to go. 

Q:  Did you do anything special last year to prepare the turkey? 
A:  For the second year in a row I made my Spice Rubbed Turkey with Cognac Gravy, totally awesome, just an all around winning recipe. (check it out!)

Q:  Have you ever had to consider special diets at your Thanksgiving meal? 
A:  Oh yes.  With Maisie’s allergies to wheat, egg & dairy, my Mom’s inability to eat dairy, my Dad’s avoidance of offal, mushrooms, asparagus and sugar, Eammon’s dislike of fruit mixed in with anything savory and me trying to not eat too many processed foods, carbs or sugar, preparing the meal is…well interesting.  I try to go simple with my recipes and we don’t all eat every item made and served but we all have our favorites which have to be made or it just doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving.  Other than Maisie because of her allergies, we all cheat a bit with what we should and should not have but hey, it’s a holiday and only once a year so we indulge a little and enjoy!

Q:  What special diets have you had to consider? 
A:  Gluten-free, lactose-free, diabetic, low carb & picky eaters.

Q:  When do you start shopping for the Thanksgiving meal? 
A:  I would say about a week ahead.  Shelf items I pick up before that if I happen to see them on a good deal.

Q:  Where do you shop for the Thanksgiving meal? 
A:  Just like my usual shopping, most items come from the International/Asian Farmer’s Market.

Q:  How much time is spent in the kitchen preparing the Thanksgiving meal? 
A:  I usually start a couple of days ahead, so to spread out the work and have everything prepped and ready to go.

Q:  Did guests bring items to the holiday dinner last year or did the host do the whole meal? 
A:  As it was just five of us, me, Eammon, Maisie and my parents, I did the whole meal with my Mom’s help.

Q:  Have you ever snuck in the kitchen and sampled some of the food when no one was looking? 
A:  Heck yea!!  And I don’t believe those people who say they haven’t…I mean with all the delicious smells, who can resist?  Resistance is futile, resistance is futile…

Q:  What is your biggest worry on Thanksgiving?
A:  I don’t really worry or stress as it’s just close family.  I just do my best to get everything out on the table, hot, juicy and delicious and thus far, no complaints…and if I hear any complaints, they’re going to be doing the dishes!!

Q:  Other than the meal, what are your family’s favorite traditions or activities on Thanksgiving.
A:  We’re a lazy bunch, after eating it’s just a relaxing day, maybe a walk around the neighborhood but most likely, a good nap!

So now you know all about Thanksgiving in the Cook Lisa Cook home, enter the giveaway below and let me know about Thanksgiving in your home.  First though, my delicious Sweet Italian Sausage & Roasted Chestnut Stuffed Mushrooms, Enjoy!

Baby portabella mushrooms stuffed and ready for the oven.  These can be prepared to this point a couple of days ahead then covered and kept in the fridge.  When you’re ready to bake them it’s just a quick 20 minutes in the oven and hot, delicious appetizers are ready to serve.

These mushroom caps were a hit with everyone who tried them and the Mrs. Cubbison’s Classic Dressing had perfect seasonings so no additional herbs, spices, salt or pepper were needed.  I liked that the bread crumbs held up well and didn’t dissolve into mush.  I now look forward to using Mrs. Cubbison’s products again.

 Sweet Italian Sausage & Roasted Chestnut Stuffed Mushrooms

• 1 bag (half the box) Mrs. Cubbison’s Classic Dressing
• 24 oz. fresh baby portabella mushrooms, or white button mushrooms 
• 1 TBS. peanut oil, or oil of your choice
• 1 large sweet onion, minced
• 6 large cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz. sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casing
• 5 oz. roasted chestnuts, diced
• 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 400F.  Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with aluminum foil and coating lightly with cooking spray.  Wash and dry the mushrooms.  Remove the stems and place the mushroom caps open side up on the prepared baking sheet.  Finely mince the stems and set aside.  In a large cast iron skillet heat the oil.  Add the onions and cook until they just begin to caramelize.  Add the minced mushroom stems and cook until they are soft.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the sausage and breaking it up and mixing it in with the onion mixture, cook until lightly browned and cooked through.  Add the diced chestnuts and the Mrs. Cubbison’s Classic Dressing.  Stir well to mix.  Add the water and toss everything well to get all the dressing moist.  Cover the pan tightly and remove from the heat.  Allow the pan to sit covered and undisturbed for 10 minutes so that all the moisture steams through the dressing mix. 

Fluff up the cooked dressing and using a tablespoon, fill the mushroom caps nice and high with the filling.  Place the filled mushrooms on the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the top of the filling is golden brown.

Enjoy! 

Giveaway!!  ***CLOSED***

Sometimes being first pays off as comment #1 is the winner, congratulations Kiy!

Now that you’ve been patient and read to this point, here’s the wonderful package that Mrs. Cubbison’s will provide to one lucky winner, follow the directions below for all the ways to enter.  Entries will be accepted up until 12:00 noon EST on Wednesday November 14, 2012 and the winner will be chosen by random draw.  I will contact the winner via email and they will have 48 hours to contact me with their mailing address.  If there is no contact, after the 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.  US residents only please.

Most of the items pictured will be sent to the lucky winner directly from Mrs. Cubbison’s, a couple items like the Sunsweet and Rhodes products will be in the form of a coupon that will cover the monetary value for those items.*  All around a perfect little prize package especially this time of year.

Required entry:

• Leave a comment on this post letting me know a little bit about you and your holidays by answering any one of the survey questions which I answered above.

Additional entries:

You can earn up to seven additional entries:  Each item you do counts as one additional entry so please leave a separate comment for each, letting me know that you are already a member or follower or now have done each items.

• Become a member and follow Cook Lisa Cook.
• Become a follower of Cook Lisa Cook on Twitter.
• Follow me on Pinterest.
• Like Mrs. Cubbison’s Facebook page.
• Follow Mrs. Cubbison's Pinterest page.
• Check out the Thanksgiving tips page and let me know which recipe you’d love to enjoy this holiday season.
• Check out Mrs. Cubbison’s YouTube page and let me know a great cooking tip you learned from watching one of the videos.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy, healthy and delicious holiday season.

Disclosures:

This sponsorship is brought to you by Mrs. Cubbison's who we have partnered with for this promotion.

* The giveaway is provided to you by Mrs. Cubbison’s and the prize package will be shipped directly from Mrs. Cubbison’s to the winner.  The address provided to me for shipment will be shared with Mrs. Cubbison’s.

I was provided with a box of products to sample, coupons and items similar to the giveaway package. This is a compensated post but all the views and opinions expressed are my own and based upon my experiences with the Mrs. Cubbison’s products.

Petit Amuse

Do you love receiving packages in the mail?  Well I do,so when I was contacted by Ben Appenzeller one of the founders of a new company Petit Amuse and asked if I would like review their site and receive a free sample package I of course said yes.  Petit Amuse was founded by Ben Appenzeller and Dr. Rosemary KuI and they search out the best artisan food producers that you've never heard of and give you a taste of what you didn't even know you were missing.  Their mission is to highlight these small independent food producers and help food lovers discover artisan treats which they may not be able to find locally by bringing the world to your door one bite at a time.  

Petit-Amuse  noun  \pə-ˈtētˈ ä-ˌmüz\

Also known as amuse-bouche. A French term that literally means "mouth amusement."These are tiny bites of food served before a meal to whet the palate and invigorate the appetite. They're more whimsical than hors d'oeuvres, and smaller than appetizers.

For foodies this is such a fun idea and for only $10/month customers can subscribe to receive sample boxes which contain 3-4 samples of specialty foods each month. It's a great deal and I was super excited to receive my package in the mail and we’ve had fun trying treats which we would not have had the opportunity to try.  Now Petit Amuse doesn’t profit from these sample boxes, they work directly with the producers to get samples at cost, they cover their own expenses like shipping and then distribute them to you with no additional mark-up and most of the sample boxes have a retail value of well over $10 (often closer to $20).  Petit Amuse is betting on the fact that sample box subscribers will love what they try and want to purchase more through their marketplace so that pushes them to pick only the best, most unique products to include in their sample boxes

So what delicious and unique treats did I receive?

Garuka Bars ~ Garuka bars are all natural and made with only 8 ingredients: Vermont raw honey, peanut butter, 7 whole-grain flakes, dried cranberries, brown rice puffs, light brown sugar, whole peanuts, and a teeny tiny bit of Vermont’s own Cabot butter., Garuka bars’ natural raw honey sweetener provides long lasting consistent energy, which means it’s a great source of pre-exercise carbs and they’re totally delicious!

Oogies Gourmet Popcorn ~ I received a bag of Oogies Movie Lovers Buttered Popcorn.  Now I adore popcorn and it’s a go-to treat in the Cook Lisa Cook house so trust me when I say, I know my popcorn and this stuff was buttery delicious.  Now I want to try some of Oogies other flavors like their new Hatch Chili Con Queso popcorn…doesn’t that sound awesome.

Caramoomel Ice Wine Jelly ~ I have enjoyed some wonderful ice wine through the years and how fun to have it in a jelly.  Since my package was delivered on a scorching hot Georgia day, my jelly was liquid in a jar but after a night in the fridge it was jelled again and perfectly delicious.  I enjoyed the jelly as a fancy-schmancy afternoon treat with some wonderful cheese.

I also received a little taster of Lark Fine Foods cookies ~ both their Cha Chas & Salted Rosemary Shortbread.  While I loved the chocolate Cha Chas which had a nice little spice to them it was the Salted Rosemary Shortbread which was my favorite and yes I did put a little of the Ice Wine Jelly on the Shortbread and it was awesome. 

I loved my box and it was fun trying out some new and different artisinal products and I’m looking forward to trying more in the future.

If this interests you, check out Petit Amuse and their sample boxes or you can purchase the items I reviewed and more unique products at their online marketplace. You can also “like” Petit Amuse on facebook, or follow them on twitter.

Enjoy!