The meaty taste of mushrooms, the savory taste of a cheese sauce and the delicate crispness of phyllo dough. These phyllo packets are amazing as an appetizer or side dish. Since they do not contain meat or eggs, they are a viable option for vegetarians who consume dairy products. And with fewer than 10 grams of carbohydrates per packet, they may be an option for diabetics.
The Inside Scoop
Phyllo dough is thin, almost gauze-like pastry. It is typically packaged in boxes, two rolls of multiple sheets of dough to a box, and is found in the freezer section of grocery stores. And it tears easily. Be sure to allow your phyllo dough to thaw in the refrigerator. Carefully peel off one sheet of dough at a time from a roll, and keep a wet paper towel over the remaining sheets of dough. Phyllo dough dries out quickly and will become unworkable if it does so.
If your phyllo dough does tear, it may still be usable depending on the size, location and number of tears because the dough is being layered.
The conventional wisdom for cleaning mushrooms has been to simply wipe the mushrooms with a damp towel. This is extremely tedious and time consuming when cleaning a large number of mushrooms. This was the recommendation because, supposedly, if water was used to clean the mushrooms, the mushrooms would absorb lots of water and become tough. Turns out, that isn’t true; mushrooms, if cleaned properly, will absorb only a trace (2%) amount of water. If you don’t want to wipe your mushrooms clean, place them in a colander and quickly “shower” them with your faucet’s hose attachment, then wipe them dry. Now they are ready to be chopped and cooked.
“A watched pot never boils” may seem true, but this is not true when bringing cream to a boil. To make the cheese sauce, it is important to reduce the heavy whipping cream to a thick cream sauce consistency; i.e., to reduce it to less than half of the original volume. Place the cream in a 3-quart sauce pot and slowly bring to a boil on medium-low heat. Stir frequently with a whisk to prevent the cream solids from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan and burning. Once the cream begins to boil, you will need to quickly reduce the heat to low to prevent the cream from boiling over. Then let it simmer, whisking occasionally. It may take an hour before the cream is reduced sufficiently and ready for the cheeses and parsley. Use that time to prepare the mushroom filling.
Once the filling is prepared and combined with the cheese sauce, remove it from the heat and let it cool while you prepare the phyllo dough. Place a sheet of waxed or parchment paper on your counter top so that the butter does not cause the dough to stick to your counter. Lay out a sheep of phyllo dough on the waxed paper, as explained above. Then use a pastry brush to thinly brush the butter onto the dough. Be sure to brush to the edges and sides. Once 5 layers of dough have been prepared, take a sharp knife and carefully cut the dough in half horizontally and in thirds vertically. (Do not cut through the waxed paper- that will damage your counter.)
Then bring the 4 corners together and pinch at the top.
The packets can be easily picked up at the top where the corners meet and placed onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Ant then bake! Packets are done when the phyllo dough begins to brown.
The meaty taste of mushrooms, the savory taste of a cheese sauce and the delicate crispness of phyllo dough. These phyllo packets are amazing as an appetizer or side dish. Since they do not contain meat or eggs, they are a viable option for vegetarians who consume dairy products. And with fewer than 10 grams of carbohydrates per packet, they may be an option for diabetics. To Make the Cheese Sauce: Pour the 3 cups of heavy whipping cream into a 3-quart saucepan. On medium low heat, bring the heavy whipping cream to a slow boil, stirring frequently to prevent the cream from boiling over and to prevent the milk solids from sticking to the bottom. Once the cream comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let the cream simmer until it reduces by at least half and makes a thick cream sauce; this may take an hour. Once the cream has reduced to approximately 1 to 1 ½ cups, add the Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheeses. Whisk together over low heat until the cheeses melt. Add the parsley, remove from the heat and let cool slightly. To Make the Filling: Place a large frying pan over low heat. Do not use a nonstick pan, if possible, as mushrooms will not caramelize properly. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan. Add the mushrooms and onions and fry over medium high heat until mushrooms and onions have browned slightly and there is no visible water, approximately 7 minutes. Stir frequently with a spatula to ensure even browning. Add the minced garlic and fry 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the thyme, rosemary, chopped walnuts and salt and pepper. Add the Gorgonzola sauce to the mushroom filling and stir to combine. Set aside while the oven preheats and you prepare the phyllo sheets. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. To Prepare the Phyllo Sheets: Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave a few seconds to melt the butter. OR place the butter in a small saucepan and place the saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Keep the butter warm to prevent it from cooling and becoming thick. Place a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper on your countertop. Dampen 2-4 sheets of paper towels with water. Carefully remove one sheet of phyllo dough and place onto the waxed paper. Cover the remaining phyllo dough with the damp paper towels to prevent the dough from drying. With a pastry brush, gently brush a small amount of the melted butter over the sheet of phyllo dough; be sure to brush the edges. Place a second sheet of phyllo dough on top of this and again use the pastry brush to gently brush melted butter onto the dough. Repeat until you have buttered 5 sheets of phyllo dough. If the butter begins to cool, place the bowl of melted butter in the microwave for a few seconds. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough in half lengthwise and in thirds widthwise. Do not cut through the waxed paper. There will be 6 equal sized squares of phyllo dough (approximately 4” x 4”). Place approximately 1 ½ tablespoons of filling into the middle of each square of phyllo dough. Bring the four corners of each square together and pinch together to make 6 phyllo packets. Place the packets onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with 5 more sheets of phyllo dough and the remaining filling. Wrap the remaining phyllo dough in plastic wrap so it is not exposed to air and refrigerate. Bake 20 minutes until phyllo dough begins to turn brown. Remove from oven and… Enjoy!Mushroom and Cheese Stuffed Phyllo Packets
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