This recipe is part of my April 2023 TU Story. See the whole thing here.

One meal Paul and I ate recently, which was born of necessity and which turned out to be a keeper centered around mushrooms. They were bought on a whim, left in a little brown bag, and nearly forgotten in the back of the fridge. We also had a wheel of cheese, the kind you might pick up for guests or to go to a party. (And here’s a happy life tip: you shouldn’t wait for a party to eat a wheel of creamy cheese. You can do that on say, a Tuesday night.) Anyway, with very few options, I sautéed the mushrooms with herbs until they released their liquid and darkened and became crispy. I warmed the cheese and then tumbled the cooked mushrooms over top. We scooped the cheese with spoons, working hard to be sure there was exactly enough cheese to divide it equally among each bite of mushroom. It was a dinner born of what-we-haves, and turned into a food-lover’s dream: rich, creamy cheese, crisp, chewy mushrooms, herbs, just a touch of salt. Use spoons to get it all from plate to mouth, as we did, and pile it up on crusty bread. Just do it when it’s late and quiet and you’re very hungry. It tastes best this way.

Crispy Mushrooms and Melty Cheese

Serves 4

Olive oil

4 cups mixed mushroom caps, sliced

Kosher salt

1 large garlic clove, sliced

2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 heaping teaspoon dried)

Black pepper

1 4-ounce wheel brie

Crusty bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the cheese in a small, oven-proof dish. Bake the cheese for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a cast-iron or other sturdy skillet, heat a swirl of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid. Stir in the garlic, thyme and black pepper. Continue cooking until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms become browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. 

Remove the cheese from the oven and scrape the mushroom mixture over top. Serve right away, with bread for scooping.