Half Hour Dash: Summer Stuffed

If you think summer meals need to be the domain of takeout, this series is for you. Over the next couple of months, the Half Hour Dash series will be popping up here with meal ideas that are a bit outside the box (especially the pizza box) but can also find their way to your table in about 30 minutes. We begin with one idea that was birthed from a favorite appetizer:

Stuffed mushrooms have really grown up! Big, beautiful portobella mushrooms get stuffed with a great summer-inspired filling of grilled chicken (you can use any cooked chicken — but I had grilled on hand and it was amazing), ripe tomatoes, and crunchy green onions. Then a little sprinkle of grated cheese finds you and dinner's almost done! As always, you can tweak the filling ingredients and type of cheese. I liked this combination because it really made me think of my own typical summer flavors and, this time of the year, that's just what the doctor ordered!

Completing a meal like this is easy: add a fresh garden salad with the nicest produce you can find and pour yourself a glass of chilled white wine. If you wanted, you could also add some slices of crusty bread (maybe slathered with some softened goat cheese?) to sop up the lovely juices that are likely to remain on your plate when your summer-stuffed mushroom has been enjoyed. Happy Summer!