Rachael Ray's Down-To-Earth Twist On 'Surf & Turf'

Most surf and turf pairings, like this easy sheet pan surf and turf recipe, don't include any actual turf. Television personality and cookbook author Rachael Ray has put a twist on surf and turf that not only incorporates ingredients right out of the literal ground but highlights them as well.

Rachael Ray's website lists the books the culinary star has either authored or contributed to, including a vegetarian version of Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals. Her expertise using produce from Mother Earth expands beyond that single volume, however, to include her vegetarian versions of meatballs and meatless chili. While the cook's repertoire might include meatless options, she hasn't been shy around a prime cut of beef or beautiful seafood, as Ray's simple steak tip shows.

Ray has put all the elements of her experience together into her spin on surf and turf which could please diners looking to mix it up and avoid gluten at the same time.

There are several different ways to create a surf and turf entree, as an episode of the Cooking Channel show "Man Fire Food" once pointed out. The episode featured pork, seafood paella, porchetta, and oysters. Rachael Ray's creation takes the surf and literally stuffs it inside the turf.

The Rachael Ray Show highlights her gluten-free crab and cheddar stuffed mushrooms as an at-home date night treat. The instructions call for crab meat and either crimini or white mushrooms. With some cheddar and other seasonings, they become a version of surf and turf all their own, with the crab meat representing the surf and the mushrooms coming right out of the turf. At the same time, Ray recommends serving them with pinwheel steaks and a tomato salad. Ray adds that anyone trying her dish should bake the mushrooms before stuffing them.

While it's up to you whether you count this among Ray's worst recipes, it's difficult to fault her for accommodating people who avoid gluten in their diets with this recipe. Not everyone is a fan of mushrooms, however, which might make some people give this surf and turf rendition a pass. For those who give the side eye to fungi, an easy grilled whole tilapia recipe combined with Bobby Flay's prime rib recipe might be more appealing. For mushroom lovers, though, this might be the surf and turf version you've long awaited.