Winning

News Flash!  I can be a little competitive.  Okay, so I'll do just about anything to win!  This said, when it was announced at work that the next Iron Chef competition was to be Gluten-free, well, I just had to win!  How humiliating would it be if the one person considered the go to semi-expert of gluten-free were to lose the gluten-free competition!  I decided that something sweet and chocolaty was the way to go.  I determined to make my gluten-free chocolate beer cake.  It's intriguing, delicious and looks great for presentation when baked in a bundt pan. Only one problem...the night before the competition I discovered we're out of cocoa...ah oh!!!

Plan B:  I had bought cremini mushrooms thinking that I might be the classic overachiever and make two entries.  Good thing!  Stuffed mushrooms was actually my second choice for entering the competition so imagine my surprise when they came out the winner...hurrah for being the ever blonde scatter brain who forgot to buy cocoa!  The recipe is posted below and as a bonus, I'm posting 2nd place.  Andrea's Caramel Brownies are AMAZING!!!

No one could wait for me to get the camera!

Mushroom Sausage Poppers

-20 cremini mushroom caps, cleaned and stems removed (or 4-6 portabellas*)
-1/2 cup Italian sausage
-1/2 cup Italian sausage (hot or sweet), casing removed (can be made vegetarian with Trader Joe's Soyrizo) for a store near youhttp://www.traderjoes.com/
-1/2 cup sweet yellow onions, finely chopped
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (a slice or two of gluten-free bread chopped in a food processor)
-2 tablespoons chopped parsley
-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
-1/3 cup chicken (or vegetable) stock
-1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Set aside a non-stick baking sheet (I like using mini muffin pans to keep mushrooms upright)
• Brush the cleaned mushroom caps lightly with olive oil.  Place the mushrooms on the baking sheet "stem-side" facing up.
• Heat a small, nonstick pan to medium-high and cook the chopped sausage about 3-5 minutes.  Remove sausage from pan and place in a medium sized bowl, set aside.  
• Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same non-stick pan.  Heat to medium and cook chopped onions until soft and translucent.  Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, do not brown.  Remove from heat and add to bowl of sausage. 
• Add the gluten-free breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and chicken stock to the sausage mixture.  Stir with a fork to combine.  Add the cheese and lightly toss.
• Use a teaspoon to fill the mushrooms.  Shape the tops into rounded mounds.  Use your hands to pack lightly.  Cook the mushrooms for 20-25 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are browned.  remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before serving warm.  The mushrooms can also be served at room temperature.  

*This can be served as a main course by substituting portabellas for cremini mushrooms.  

Caramel Brownies (Gluten-free of course)

1 bag (14 oz.) caramels (make sure they are gluten-free)

1 can (5oz.) evaporated milk or 2/3 c. divided

1 devil's food chocolate cake mix (Betty Crocker's gluten-free devil's food cake mix was used for the competition.

6 tablespoons butter, melted 

1 pkg. (6oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Unwrap caramels and place in saucepan with 2 tablespoons evaporated milk.  Set aside. 
•  In mixing bowl, combine the remaining evaporated milk, dry cake mix and melted butter.  Stir until well blended.  Spread half of this mixture in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish.  Mixture will form a thin layer in the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes only. 
• Melt the caramels over medium-low heat; stir constantly.  Be careful not to burn.  Remove brownies from oven ;sprinkle with chocolate chips and drizzle melted caramel over the top.  Cover evenly.
• Drop remaining cake mixture by teaspoons over the caramel.  Return pan to oven and bake 20 minutes more.  Cut while warm but cool before removing from pan.