6 tbsp. butter, melted
16 slices (1/2-inch thick) French bread or 8 slices Italian bread*
16 large or 8 jumbo mushrooms
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large egg
1/2 lb. Stilton cheese or other blue cheese, crumbled
16 large walnut pieces
Parsley sprigs
Fresh or canned red pepper strips, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly butter both sides of bread, using 4 Tbsp. of the butter; arrange on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 5 minutes, turning once, or until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. Use damp paper towels to wipe mushrooms, being sure to remove all dirt and sand. Pat dry with paper towels. Gently twist each mushroom stem to remove. (Reserve these mushroom stems to use in a salad or soup.)

3. In a large bowl, toss mushroom caps in fresh lemon juice, drain. Discard remaining lemon juice. Place 2 Tbsp. melted butter in bowl; add mushroom caps and toss again. Place one cap stem side up on each slice of toasted bread on baking sheet.

4. In a small bowl, beat egg with a fork; stir in Stilton cheese. Spoon cheese mixture into mushroom caps, dividing equally. (At this point, mushroom caps can be covered lightly with plastic and refrigerated for up to one hour before you broil and serve them.)

5. Broil mushroom caps about 8-10 inches from heat source for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from broiler; use tongs to place on serving platter. Place a walnut piece, a parsley sprig and two red pepper strips on top of each stuffed mushroom. Serve mushroom caps hot.

Note: Select French bread and 1 1/2 inch mushrooms if you plan to serve this dish as an hors d'oeuvre. Select Italian bread and 3-4 inch mushrooms if you plan to serve this dish as a first course or as a vegetable side dish.