Melty, gooey mozzarella cheese, sauteed mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes flavor this easy Mushroom, Sun Dried Tomato and Mozzarella Dip! Serve this up on your next camping trip or at your next BBQ – you’ll want to double the recipe because it goes fast!!!
Camping is one of those things you either love or hate.
Me? I love camping and am a pretty experienced camper. My girlfriend? Not so much – her idea of camping involves staying at a 2 star versus 3 star resort.
So, it was no surprise when we were chatting the other day and she was complaining commenting about her family’s upcoming camping trip – and by “camping” I mean the real deal – sleeping bags, tents, the whole she bang. Needless to say she was NOT happy – the idea of sleeping on and air mattress under the stars just wasn’t working for her. And then we got started on the subject of food and she shuddered, wondering how she was going to endure several days of eating burgers and hot dogs.
At this point I smiled and asked her “why do you think you have to eat hamburgers and hot dogs? Just because you are camping doesn’t mean you can’t eat well.”
In response I received a blank stare. “Huh? Well, what else are we going to eat”?
Now THAT is one of my favorite questions!!!
From there I started rattling off dish after dish and after the first few moments she stopped looking at me as if I’d lost my mind and she started to smile – things were looking up!!
You see, the key to any successful camping trip (or any type of trip for that matter) is the food. People may talk about their feet in relation to traveling but let’s face it. We travel on our stomachs. If they aren’t happy…. well, we aren’t happy. We can endure wet, cold, hot, long lines and crazy cab drivers but if the food isn’t good it’s all over.
So let’s start with one of the most important parts of the meal when camping – appetizers. Yup, appetizers.
After a full day of hiking, swimming, horseback riding and canoeing EVERYONE is ravenous. And there is NO microwave – and dinner is still a good 30 – 45 minutes off.
So, that’s were this little appetizer comes in. Meaty mushrooms with slightly sweet sun dried tomatoes robed in gooey, melted cheese scooped onto a warm piece of toasted bread. A civilized way to stave off the starving hordes (otherwise known as your family).
But even if you aren’t camping this summer and your biggest outdoor adventure is grilling in your own backyard, appetizers are still essential – and ones that can be made on the grill are even better!!!
Mushroom, Sun Dried Tomato and Mozzarella Dip
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes not packed in oil
- 1- 8 oz. container fresh mozzarella packed in water
- 3 Tbsp. dry sherry
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. dried red chili flakes
- salt and pepper
- 1 baguette slice into 1/2 inch slices
- extra olive oil for brushing the baguette.
Instructions
- Turn the grill on to medium high. (If grilling on charcoal spread coals out until you can hold hand over fire for 5 - 7 seconds).
- While grill is heating, remove mozzarella from water and dry with paper towels, pressing as much water out as you can. Cut mozzarella into slices about 1/4 inch thick and then tear slices into smaller pieces. Set aside.
- Slice baguette and brush with olive oil. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to a cast iron skillet. Place skillet on grill. When olive oil is shimmering (but not smoking - if starting to smoke, move skillet to a cooler part of the grill) add the mushrooms. Let cook for about 2 minutes or until mushrooms are a deep golden brown. Flip mushrooms over and cook until golden brown.
- Pull skillet off fire and add sherry - it is going to bubble and hiss! Cook until sherry has evaporated.
- Add sun dried tomatoes and rosemary and sprinkle liberally with salt., Layer the mozzarella on top. Move skillet back over the heat and cook until cheese melts and water evaporates.
- Move dip to cooler part of the grill and add baguette slices to grill. Grill baguette slices for 2 - 3 minutes per side until golden and slightly charred at the edges.
- Serve dip in the skillet with the grilled baguette slices.
Nutrition
I love camping with my family and I will have to agree that great food makes the experience that much better. This gorgeous dip will definitely be on the menu for our camping trips this summer. Thanks so much for sharing it in our Get Grillin’ event. I’d love to see your margarita granita with shrimp in there too (you can enter up to 3 recipes per theme week).
What a great dip, such wonderful flavors! I’m thinking this would be a great indoors party appetizer too.
I’m with you, we always had great food when camping, it just takes a little planning–no one has to settle for hot dogs, though for some families, roasting them over a fire can be a wonderful memory for the kids. Great recipe here, thanks.
Hey Nancy, thanks so much for including this dip in our Get Grillin’ event – it looks awesome!
“What else are we gonna eat?” What an opener. I am so glad to see you ran with it! GREG
I like your style. Appetizers on a camping trip??? Guess this isn’t the hiking 10 miles first kind with an iron skillet and sherry…more my speed. This would be excellent after hiking the around the lakes in Mammoth. You are a genius, Nancy. I just love your writing style.
I’m afraid I’m a non-camper, but this dip could help to change my mind! I definitely need to try this on the grill. The mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes sound great in the melted cheese.
We LOVE camping. We always make every meal in pie die casts. Have you ever tried those? We call them ‘pie dies.’ Best invention ever! Anyway, although they are ah-mazing, I would like new camping food, and this is right up my alley!
While I do not enjoy camping, I am enjoying this…a must try 🙂
Hope you have a great weekend Nancy
Maybe I’ll camp out in the living room tonight if I can eat this. Never had anything this good camping in the woods. Oh BTW, I have an upcoming post with a bandana napkin. Great minds…
that looks delicious.
Hi Anja – Thanks so much!!
I think I could handle camping for food like this. Although I would rather not and just say I did. ; )
Hi Amy – your secret is safe with me!!!
You nailed it: food is the most important part of any trip – I have experienced a lot of grumbling and hissing from the hungry hordes, aka family, on the road when I was growing up and even now:)
I haven’t been camping since before I was married, but it would be a great adventure in every aspect.
I love your appetizer and agree with Adair – camping in my living room is sufficient, as long as I use the cast iron:)
A tasty appetizer whether grilling at a campsite or in your backyard! Love the story 🙂 Thanks for the sharing and I’ll check out the grill theme for this week at Marla & Dara’s sites, too.
I’m such a hobbit at heart…I could eat mushrooms all day. This recipe looks phenomenal.
Hello Charissa!!!
Hah!! I think I must be as well! Hope you enjoy this dip!!
I love camping! And not the “in a trailer at a campground” kind… the full out “tent, sleeping bag, bed of rocks, in a tent with a hole in it” kind! I can see this recipe being a big hit while camping with my family.
– Brittany
It’s simple, delicious and was a crowd favorite at my place. But with mushrooms, marinara and mozzarella, how could you go wrong? 🙂
So glad that you enjoyed it!!
Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your post seem to be running off the screen in Safari.
I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with browser compatibility
but I thought I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though!
Hope you get the problem fixed soon. Thanks
Thanks for the heads up! Have contacted my web designer!!