Flourless Mushroom and Cheese Bake

 

After all the fairly heavier holiday season’s dishes, I felt it was time for some lighter dishes, yet, at the same time, filling and warming.
Crustless mushroom bake came to mind, as it is perfect for this purpose – it is “meaty” and hearty, but far from heavy. The fact that it can be easily prepared, only made it an even more attractive choice.
The following tasty bake is completely flourless, and relies only on cheeses and eggs to stabilize it. For this reason, the baking temperature is a bit lower, and the baking time is longer than usual, in order to give the mixture time to set.
The bake can be served as a main course, for a light lunch or dinner, with a green salad on the side. It can also be cut into smaller portions, and served as an appetizer, or as part of a brunch buffet selection, where a gluten free dish is always a good idea. Try it and enjoy.

Notes:
* The salad is a simple mix of greens, with crispy apple and maple-mustard vinaigrette, from THIS post.

Makes: 4-6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
8 oz (225 grams) white button mushrooms
8 oz (225 grams) baby Bella mushrooms
2 medium shallots
1 Tbs light olive oil
2 Tbs butter
2 tsp salt, divided
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp freshly ground four peppers mix
½ tsp Old Bay seasoning (or any other you prefer)
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
1 lbs (454 grams) small curd 4% fat cottage cheese
3.5 oz (100 grams) feta cheese
4.4 oz (125 grams) mix of roughly grated Pecorino and Parmesan cheeses
2 L eggs
2 tsp whole grain mustard

1. Clean the mushroom, remove the legs (keep for stock), cut into quarters and slice.
2. Cut the shallots into small cubes, and place in a large pan. Add the oil, 1 tsp salt, the sugar and pepper, and mix. Heat over medium-high heat, add the butter, and sauté, mixing occasionally, until soft and translucent.
3. Add the mushrooms, Old Bay seasoning and honey. Mix and sauté until well cooked and the liquids evaporated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cool to room temperature.  
4. Preheat the oven to 355F (175C). Line an 8×8” (20×20 cm) pan with baking paper.
5. In a large bowl, mix the cheeses with the eggs, remaining 1 tsp salt, and mustard. Add the sautéed mushrooms and mix well.
6. Pour the mixture into the lined pan and level the top with a spatula. Bake for about an hour, until the bake is set and the top is darkish-brown. Turn the oven off, and keep the pan in it for 10 minutes longer. Serve warm.