Stuffed Mushrooms
These stuffed mushrooms are the perfect appetizer for a holiday party! You’ll love the creamy, cheesy, herby filling and crispy topping.
These Stuffed Mushrooms will be the hit of the party!
I’ll admit that appetizers are generally not the first thing I think of when I’m planning a holiday meal. The main course, the side dishes, dessert, even drinks typically make their way onto my menu plan, but appetizers are usually an afterthought. Which is why we need an amazing (and easy!) appetizer for our holiday parties this year.
I decided a stuffed mushrooms recipe would be just the thing: bite-size, warm, cheesy and savory, you’ll want to make these again and again. These stuffed mushrooms may look fancy, but they’re actually really easy to make! In this recipe, cremini mushrooms are stuffed with two cheeses, garlic, fresh thyme and a bit of red pepper flakes for a touch of spice and flavor complexity. Then we sprinkle on a Parmesan bread crumb topping and bake them in the oven until the mushrooms are tender, the filling is warm, and the topping is golden.
Warm from the oven, stuffed mushrooms are a nice contrast to the cold items served on our usual charcuterie board (think cheeses, grapes, meats, etc.). They’ve been a huge hit with my family, and I hope you will love them too!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need to make this stuffed mushrooms recipe. As always, find the full recipe with measurements below.
- Cremini Mushrooms: Much more flavorful than white button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms are my mushroom of choice for this recipe (as well as most others, like my Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto and Cream of Mushroom Soup).
- Olive Oil, Onion and Garlic: Sautéing the mushroom stems, onion and garlic in olive oil softens them and brings out their flavor.
- Cream Cheese and Parmesan: These two cheeses make the filling creamy and cheesy. Additionally, the cream cheese binds all of the other filling ingredients together.
- Seasonings: We’re using fresh thyme, salt, pepper and a few pinches of red pepper flakes. Earthy, woodsy thyme is the perfect herb to complement the meaty, umami mushroom flavor.
- Topping: The topping is a mixture of panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and butter.
How to Make Stuffed Mushrooms
This recipe uses the whole mushrooms, stems and all! I love that there’s no waste, plus the stems add lots of flavor to the filling.
Prepare the filling. Pull out the mushroom stems and chop them finely. In a skillet, sauté the chopped stems and onion until softened. Then stir in the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, stir together cream cheese, grated Parmesan, fresh thyme, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir in the sautéed mushroom stems, onions and garlic from the skillet.
Stuff mushrooms. Spoon the cheese mixture into the mushrooms and set them, filling side up, on a wire rack set atop a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Add topping. Mix together panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and melted butter. Sprinkle the topping on each stuffed mushroom.
Bake. Bake at 400° F for 15-20 minutes, until mushrooms are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Use a wire rack if you have one. I tested baking the stuffed mushrooms on a wire rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet vs. baking them directly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Directly on the parchment, the mushrooms were sitting in some liquid that they released as they baked. They were slightly softer than the mushrooms baked on the rack, but still very good. If you have a wire rack I recommend using it, if not, the mushrooms will still turn out well.
- Let the cream cheese come to room temperature before making the filling. The softened cream cheese will incorporate much more easily with the other ingredients.
- I like to trim off the very ends of the mushroom stems, since they can be dried out and tough. The rest of the stem gets chopped up and added to the filling.
- Be careful (move slowly) when transferring the pan to the oven. Otherwise your mushrooms may roll over as you move the pan.
To Make Ahead
You can assemble the stuffed mushrooms and make the topping a few hours in advance, then store them separately in the refrigerator. Right before serving, add the topping and bake. This appetizer is best served right away, hot out of the oven.
More Holiday Appetizer Recipes
Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, about 24 mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
Bread Crumb Topping
- ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F with a rack in the center position. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet, either by setting an oven-safe wire rack on top (you can place a sheet of parchment paper under the rack for easy clean up) or by simply lining the pan with a sheet of parchment paper. If baking without a wire rack, the mushrooms will be sitting in any liquid they release as they bake so the stuffed mushrooms may be slightly less firm.
- Pull out the mushroom stems and chop them finely to use in the filling. Set mushroom caps aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems and onion and sauté, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove pan from the heat. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, fresh thyme, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir in the sautéed mushroom stems, onions and garlic from the skillet.
- Spoon the mixture into the mushrooms and set them, filling side up, on the prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, stir together the Panko bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Stir in the melted butter. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of each stuffed mushroom.
- (When transferring the pan to the oven, do so carefully or the mushrooms may roll over.) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until mushrooms are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm.
Notes
- To Make Ahead: You can assemble the stuffed mushrooms and make the topping a few hours in advance, then store them separately in the refrigerator. Right before serving, add the topping and bake.
