I have long been on the fence about some of the new gadgets available for the kitchen, specifically pressure cookers and air fryers. I’ve had them in and out of my cart, both in person and online, probably a dozen times. My dilemma was solved this Christmas as we were gifted a combination pressure cooker/air fryer by my lovely mother-in-law.
The girls and I got right to work, experimenting with this food or that. We played with broccoli, zucchini, chicken wings, sweet potato fries, and more. We realized we had a half package of mushrooms hanging out in the fridge, leftover from the previous evenings dinner and decided to give them a go in the air fryer. They were good, but a little boring. So we played around some more and came up with a great recipe for air fryer stuffed mushrooms.
Stuffed Mushrooms at 94th Aero Squadron
I have always been a fan of stuffed mushrooms. I first discovered them when I was about 13 years old. My dad, fresh off of my parents’ divorce, picked up my brother and I for his weekend visit. He took us out for a special dinner to the 94th Aero Squadron restaurant in Columbus. While I don’t remember everything about the meal, I do remember the amazing stuffed mushrooms and the delicious French onion soup. And even though I can’t recall much of the conversation that day, I remember that it was important to Dad to do something nice with us. It’s a good memory.
On a side note, if you’ve never been to the 94th Aero Squadron, I highly recommend a visit. In addition to the meal there with Dad, I remember going back with a prom date, and then later with my husband for a nice night out.
It’s name comes from the squadron commanded by Columbus native and World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker and is decorated with war memorabilia from both the WWI and WWII periods. On that first visit I remember they had radios at the table that allowed diners to listen in to the control tower chatter at the nearby Columbus airport. I don’t remember them on subsequent visits and I can see why this would no longer be allowed in our post 9/11 world.
Stuffed Mushrooms: A Suitable Substitute
The following recipe is certainly not the one that I enjoyed at the restaurant, but rather a creation that my girls and I came up with on the spot. We tweaked it a little and tried a few variations. This one was by far our favorite and we’ve had it several times. They’ve tried it out on boyfriends and fiances and it has passed the test, with their significant others frequently seeking seconds.
Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms
One package large stuffing mushrooms (about 8)
1/3 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup bacon pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheese – I used colby jack
Seasoned bread crumbs
Begin by washing the mushrooms. Pull off the stem and scoop out the cavity with a spoon. Reserve the stems.
Use a paper towel to pat the mushrooms dry and set aside.
Chop the reserved stems into small even pieces. Add cream cheese, sour cream, bacon pieces and shredded cheese. Mix together.
Scoop mixture into open mushroom cavities, overstuffing a bit to use the entire mixture. Sprinkle tops with seasoned bread crumbs.
Place into air fryer and set for 400 degrees for 8 minutes.
More Fun with the Air Fryer
Though we are just starting with the air fryer, this has quickly become one of our favorite recipes. We love cooking (as evidenced by our growing recipe collection) and plan to experiment more with the air fryer and eventually get started with the pressure cooker as well.
Do you have any favorite air fryer or pressure cooker recipes? We are excited to try new things and would love if you’d share your recipe or a link in the comments!
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