Uncle Charlie always made a huge batch of these for summer cookouts. Only 3 ingredients. They are incredibly juicy and disappear from the plate instantly.

Uncle Charlie started bringing these sausage mushroom bakes to our big summer cookouts back in the late 70s, when everyone was trying to feed a crowd without heating up the whole house. He liked things simple and hearty, so he pared the recipe down to just three ingredients: sausage, mushrooms, and cheese. He’d fill a couple of big casserole dishes, slide them into the oven while the burgers were on the grill, and by the time the corn was boiled, these little bites were bubbling and juicy. They’re low carb without trying to be, easy to make in a big batch, and they vanish from the platter faster than anything else on the table.

Serve these sausage mushroom bakes hot right out of the oven, still in the casserole dish so the juices stay put. They’re perfect alongside grilled burgers, brats, or chicken, with simple sides like coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, and a big green salad. For a heartier spread, add a tray of raw veggies and ranch dip and maybe some dill pickles. If you’re serving them as an appetizer, stick a little toothpick in each cap and set them out with napkins so folks can grab and go—just know you might want to double the batch, because they disappear in no time.

Servings: 8

2 pounds bulk ground pork sausage (mild or hot, your choice)

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a large ceramic casserole dish or two medium ones; you want enough room to snugly fit all the mushroom caps in a single layer.

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a damp paper towel. Twist or gently pull out the stems to make a good-sized cavity in each cap. Discard the stems or save them for another use, and set the caps aside, cavity side up.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumble in the ground pork sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking it up with a spoon, until it is well browned and no pink remains, 8–10 minutes. If there is a lot of grease in the pan, spoon off most of it, leaving just a light coating so the sausage stays juicy.

Remove the skillet from the heat and let the sausage cool for 5–10 minutes. This keeps the cheese from melting too fast when you mix it in and makes the filling easier to handle.

Stir 1 1/2 cups of the shredded mozzarella into the slightly cooled sausage until the cheese is evenly distributed. The mixture will be thick and a bit sticky—that’s what you want so it holds nicely in the mushroom caps.

Arrange the mushroom caps in the prepared casserole dish, hollow side up, nestled close together so they help support one another as they bake.

Using a spoon or clean fingers, firmly pack the sausage-cheese mixture into each mushroom cap, mounding it slightly. Use up all the filling, dividing it as evenly as you can among the mushrooms.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella evenly over the tops of the filled mushrooms, letting some fall into the spaces between them so you get extra browned, bubbly bits.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender, the sausage filling is sizzling, and the cheese on top is melted, browned in spots, and bubbly. You should see juices collecting in the bottom of the dish.

Remove the casserole dish from the oven and let the mushrooms rest for about 5 minutes; they will be very hot and juicy. Serve straight from the dish with a small spoon or tongs so you can scoop up some of the flavorful juices with each portion.

You can easily tailor these to your family’s tastes while keeping the spirit of Uncle Charlie’s three-ingredient idea. For a spicier version, use hot pork sausage instead of mild; for a more traditional Midwestern flavor, choose a country-style or sage sausage. If you’d like a smokier taste without changing the ingredient list, brown the sausage a little longer to develop deeper color, and let the mushrooms bake until you see darker roasted edges. You can also play with the ratio of filling to mushrooms: use slightly larger caps for meatier bites, or smaller ones for one-bite appetizers that hold well on a toothpick. If you need to make these ahead for a cookout, you can stuff the raw mushroom caps with the cooled sausage and cheese mixture, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking; just add a few extra minutes to the oven time. For food safety, always cook the sausage until it is no longer pink and reaches an internal temperature of at least 160°F (71°C). Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, store them in a covered container, and reheat thoroughly before eating. Because mushrooms release liquid as they bake, use a sturdy ceramic or metal baking dish so it can handle the heat and the juices without warping.