If you are looking for a hearty vegetarian appetizer that hits all of those nostalgic notes, then you are in the right place for sure. Many of us grew up eating stuffed mushrooms at parties or holiday gatherings. Some of us might still be lucky enough to have them as a regular part of our celebrations. But if you (like me!) haven’t had one in a while and want to recreate those lovely festive food memories, this stuffed mushrooms recipe is for you.

Serve these up with Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Tarts and Best Easy Crab Dip for a delicious holiday appetizer party.

Stuffed Mushrooms: Perfect for parties, with a rich (vegetarian!)) filling, these can be made with larger or small mushrooms, and also frozen.

A Perfect Mushroom Appetizer

You can make these in large or small mushroom caps. Small ones are two-bite delights, and larger ones may even warrant a knife and fork. If you make these with small 1-inch or so mushrooms, you will get about 40, and I would plan for about 4 per person. Larger mushroom caps (2 inches or so) will yield about 20 stuffed mushrooms.

By the way, these are seriously rich. The filling contains two kinds of cheese, chopped onions, mushroom stems, spinach, garlic, a touch of cream, and white wine, plus panko breadcrumbs for heft and to hold it all together. The cheesy filling is indulgent, but we can all feel good that it comes baked into a little mushroom cap.

Of course, they are awesome appetizers, but I also love eating a few with a big salad for a delightful lunch.

Best Mushrooms for Stuffing

I am a huge fan of wild and exotic mushrooms, but not here. For this recipe, I prefer to use button or cremini mushrooms — super old school, yes, but they are a classic for a reason. These mushrooms are sturdy enough to hold the filling and keep their shape when baked, with a nice texture and density.

Make sure you reserve the stems for the filling but do trim off the very bottoms. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp dish towel or paper towel to remove excess dirt. If you want to give them a quick rinse under cold water in a colander, you can, but make sure they don’t soak in the water. Also, dry them as soon as you rinse them so they stay firm.

Ingredients

• Mushrooms – Button or cremini mushrooms are perfect for this recipe.
• Olive oil
• Onion and garlic – When finely minced, these add great flavor to the filling.
• White wine – Gives the filling a nice background flavor.
• Spinach – A few greens in a vegetarian filling is always welcome.
• Heavy cream – For a little richness and creaminess.
• Thyme – Fresh thyme is preferred, but you can substitute it with the dried herb.
• Provolone and Parmesan – This cheese duo is simply perfect in this recipe.
• Panko breadcrumbs – Since they’re not as fine as other breadcrumbs, they give the filling a nice crumble. Try making breadcrumbs from leftover bread if you have it.
• Parsley – A finishing decorative touch to complete the appetizer.

Freezing Stuffed Mushrooms

You can freeze uncooked stuffed mushrooms for up to 3 months. Fill the mushrooms and then place them on a plate or a baking sheet. Place them in the freezer and freeze for 1 hour, until very firm. Gently transfer them upright to a freezer-proof container, tuck plastic wrap all around them, then cover and freeze.

You should not defrost them before baking. Thawing the mushrooms before baking will result in soggy stuffed mushrooms, so bake them straight from the freezer.

To cook frozen stuffed mushrooms, heat the oven to 250 degrees and transfer the mushrooms to a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish. Bake the frozen mushrooms for about 35 minutes for small mushrooms, 50 minutes for larger mushrooms, or until they are hot throughout and golden brown on top.

How to Make Stuffed Mushrooms

1. Prepare the mushrooms: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Trim the very ends from the mushroom stems, then remove the stems and finely chop them. Place the mushrooms hollow side up in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and chopped mushroom stems and sauté for 5 minutes until softened and golden. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes, until golden. Add the white wine and cook for another 3 minutes until the wine has mostly evaporated. Add the spinach and thyme and cook until wilted, about 1 minute, then season with salt and pepper. Add the cream, provolone, and 1/2 of the Parmesan. Stir until everything is well blended and thick and the cheese is pretty well melted, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the panko.

3. Fill the mushrooms: For smaller mushrooms, scoop a rounded teaspoon of the mixture into the hollow of each mushroom cap and mound it attractively. For larger mushrooms, use a tablespoon of the filling. Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan evenly over the top.

4. Bake: Bake smaller mushrooms for about 15 to 20 minutes until hot throughout and the tops are golden brown. Bake larger mushrooms for about 30 minutes.
5. Garnish and serve: Serve hot, sprinkled with fresh parsley.

More Holiday Appetizer Recipes

• Cheeseburger Pizza Pinwheels
• Crab Cakes
• Salmon Crostini with Chimichurri Sauce
• Candied Bacon
• Best Easy Hot Crab Dip