Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking pan with sides with aluminum foil. Place mushroom caps, cap side down on prepared pan. Set aside. Brown and crumble sausage in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Drain well on paper towels. In the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for a minute or two. Return the sausage to the pan; add paprika and pepper. Stir well to combine, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add the Velveeta cheese, cut up into cubes or broken up to the sausage mixture. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is thoroughly melted. Remove the cover, and stir well to combine all ingredients. Stuff each mushroom cap with about a teaspoon of the sausage/cheese mixture. Bake at 350° F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and the cheese is thoroughly melted. Drain and serve. Yield: 24 stuffed mushrooms. Variation: Spread sausage mixture on cocktail rye or cocktail pumpernickel. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until sausage mixture is browned and bread is toasted. Serve hot. |