Method: Virtual Potluck

When The Naptime Chef asked me to be a part of a virtual dinner party, re-creating recipes from the Park Avenue Potluck cookbook, I jumped at the chance. My first thought? What do those Park Ave ladies whip up for dinner parties? I was intrigued. The fact that a portion of the proceeds from the Park Avenue Potluck and the newly released Park Avenue Potluck Celebrations go to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York was icing on the cake.

My contribution to the virtual dinner party is Warm Mushroom Rolls. Before I give you the recipe....

Confession #1: I added some cayenne to the original recipe. Like any good Southern Girl, I like a kick with my cocktail. I paired the Warm Mushroom Rolls with a nice, buttery Chardonnay. It went well with the earthy mushrooms, and enhanced the buttery rolls.

Confession #2: I did not need to make all 60 rolls for my virtual dinner companions, so I stirred the remaining filling into some pasta for our dinner. Yum. The filling would also be dynamite tucked into a chicken breast or swirled into risotto. Versatile, indeed!

And now, for the recipe....


Warm Mushroom Rolls
from Park Avenue Potluck cookbook series
Makes 60 rolls

1 medium onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
12 ounces white mushrooms
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-pound loaf firm sandwich bread (about 15 slices)

Place the onion, shallot, and parsley in a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Remove from the processor, place the mushrooms in the food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the mushrooms, and sauté until lightly browned and no liquid remains in the pan. Transfer to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan, then add the onion mixture and sauté until it starts to color. Add to the mushrooms in the bowl and mix with the cream and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the crusts from the bread. Use a rolling pin to roll each slice flat. Place a heaping tablespoon of the mushroom filling over one side of the bread, then tightly roll up the bread with the filling. Melt the remaining butter. Use some of the butter to brush a foil-lined baking sheet. Place the rolls seam-side down on the baking sheet. Use the remaining butter to brush on the mushroom rolls. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until the bread is lightly toasted. Use a serrated knife to cut each roll in 4 pieces, arrange on a platter, and serve. The finished hors d’oeuvres can be made in advance and reheated for about 10 minutes at 325 degrees.

Thanks for the dinner party, Ladies!