Crappie Stuffed Morels

Crappie and morels are the flavors of spring. The crappie spawn brings anglers to the shallows, and morel season sends foragers into the timber — and if you time it right, you can have both on the same plate. This recipe combines fresh crappie fillets with wild morels for a stuffed mushroom appetizer that's hard to beat. If you've never paired these two spring staples together, you're in for a treat.

Ingredients

• 8 whole fresh morels
• 8 ounces fresh crappie fillets (each fillet is around 1 ounce)
• 2 tablespoons butter (or oil)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Gather ingredients and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Clean morels with a damp paper towel and cut them in half lengthwise.
3. Clean up crappie fillets (check for bones) and dry them well with a paper towel.
4. Heat butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add crappie fillets. Saute fillets until they get flaky and break apart. Add salt to taste.
5. Add garlic and cook for another minute, taking care not to burn the garlic. Set aside to cool.
6. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, pepper, onion powder, and parsley. The mixture will be very thick.
7. Once the crappie has cooled, add it to the cream cheese mixture and stir until well combined. The crappie will break down further as you mix, creating a chunky filling.
8. Use a spoon to fill each morel half with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange stuffed morels on the prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until the morels are piping hot, about 20 minutes.
10. Serve and enjoy!