Stuffed champignons with dried apricots

Ingredients:

Mushrooms

• 24 large white or brown button mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped for the filling
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil

Filling

• 55 g butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 0.5 cup finely chopped fried bacon
• 0.5 cup grated provolone
• 2 tbsp finely chopped dried apricots
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
• 1 cup crumbled fresh challah

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 220°C.
2. Mushrooms:
   
   If the mushroom caps are very round, cut a very thin slice from the top of each cap to keep them standing upright and from falling over. Combine the mushroom caps in a large bowl with olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
3. Filling:
   
   Melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom stems and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to another large bowl, sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a few turns of black pepper, and set aside to cool.
4. Add the bacon, provolone, dried apricots, and walnuts to the cooled mushroom mixture. Add the bread crumbs and stir until well moistened.
5. Spread the filling over the mushroom caps and transfer the stuffed mushrooms to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling on top is golden brown and crispy, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.