Stuffed Mushrooms

Tasty appetizers are what make any dinner party’s menu pop!

Stuffed mushrooms happen to be my absolute favourite, so I’m going to share my secrete recipe with all of you…

Now keep in mind that when serving hors d’oeuvres (aka the fancy term for finger food appetizers), you typically would plan for 5-7 pieces per person – but you want variety!

The length of the dinner party and how fancy you plan to make it will determine how many different varieties of hors d’oeuvres you should serve.

When I host Christmas, Thanksgiving or other dinner parties that will be an hour or more before dinner is served, I will typically have 3-5 different appetizers for my guests to snack on while we visit.

Devilled eggs, mini salmon patties in tartar sauce, and mini BBQ meatballs are just a few of the other finger foods I love to include at my dinner parties.

But back to the stuffed mushrooms!

I prefer to use smaller mushrooms that will be one or two bites total.

The smaller the mushroom, the easier it is to eat between conversation; plus the mushroom-to-stuffing ratio is perfect!

Not too much cheese (as if that really is a thing), not too much mushroom… Like I said, the perfect ratio!

Let’s start with the variety of mushroom to use!

White button mushrooms are the best variety, in my opinion, to use for making stuffed mushrooms.

Not only are the they a perfect size, but they also have a lovely, mild flavour and an attractive look (presentation matters)!

They are likely one of the easiest varieties to find at your local grocery store, as well, which is always a nice thing.

Get cooking!

The first step is to remove the stems from the caps; you want to make sure that you remove the stem from the inside of the cap so you have a hollow to add filling into.

Dice the stems into fine pieces and place in a pre-heated pan on medium heat with melted butter.

The stems should become soft within a few minutes, however I often will allow them to cook until they are slightly crispy.

This crispiness almost makes it seem as though I have added bacon the the recipe, but is a dish your vegetarian friends will still eat!

By all means, if you don’t have to think of vegetarian needs and want to throw in some crispy bacon – go for it!

Next, mix softened cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, and garlic plus (or even better yet – minced, roasted garlic) in a mixing bowl.

Allow the mushroom stems to cool enough that it will not melt the cheese, then add to the mixture as well and combine thoroughly.

If there is extra butter in the pan with the mushroom stems, go ahead and add it to the cheese mix! It will add more flavour.

Taking the empty mushroom caps, spoon the filling into them – try to push the filling into the very bottom of the hollow and leave a little dome on top of the stuffed mushroom.

This will give each mushroom consistent amounts of filling and uniform presentation.

After all the mushrooms have been filled, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

(Parchment paper, by the way, is one of my biggest “finds” in my baking journey! Hello to easier clean-up!!!)

Pre-heat the oven to 375º F and place the baking sheet on the top rack for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

If you are making multiple trays of stuffed mushrooms and don’t have a convection oven, you will want to rotate the pans from top to bottom half-way through baking.

Once they are golden brown, remove the baking trays from the heat and allow to cool until they are warm, rather than hot, then serve!

They are easy to prepare beforehand and freeze so you simply have to thaw them before your next dinner party; give them a brief toasting in the oven to heat and serve!

Some optional additional ingredients to add are bacon (as I mentioned earlier) or crab meat.

Some people even choose to dredge their stuffed mushroom tops in buttered bread crumbs before baking.

Whichever variation you make of this delicacy, it is sure to be a hit!

Recipe

12 white button mushrooms

1/3 cup cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon garlic plus *or* 2 cloves roasted garlic

2 tablespoons salted butter

Instructions

Remove mushroom stems and mince, then cook until soft in a pan with butter over medium heat.

Mix cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, and garlic well.

Add cooled mushroom stems to cheese mix and combine well.

Scoop mixture into mushroom caps.

Pre-heat oven to 375º F and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool until warm (not hot) and serve.

Enjoy!

These stuffed mushrooms go well with my loaded stuffed potatoes, premium roast beef, and grilled corn on the cob as a side if you choose to serve them with your meal rather than as an appetizer.