Right before I was to settle down to a mountain of Chinese food, my in-laws called us upstairs for an old family favorite. My father-in-law has  been making these baked stuffed mussels for as long as I’ve been in the family. These tasty little morsels are a big hit during parties or family gatherings and are highly addictive. A perfect appetizer that goes with almost anything, and available all year long. If you plan on bringing these to an event, be sure to make extra to keep at home and eat later – they tend to go quick.

My Father-in-law’s Baked Stuffed Mussels

• 2lbs mussels – cleaned, de-bearded and on the half shell
• 2 cups mixed breadcrums
• 1 stick melted butter
• minced garlic
• few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Once the mussels are prepped, place some minced garlic on each mussel. Then combine the rest of the ingredients with the breadcrumbs and place a heaping teaspoon of the mixture on each mussel. Bake for about 20 minutes and serve hot. You can serve with a squeeze of lemon but they are so flavorful they don’t really need it.

Thanks to Ann and John Marchant for this family favorite. Hope you enjoy it and happy new year!