Cream Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms Are The Ultimate Savory Holiday Starter
The holidays are all about relaxing, gathering with loved ones, and ideally, enjoying delicious food. If you find yourself hosting a holiday gathering this year (or any year, for that matter), then you may already be well aware that one of the easiest ways to excel as an exceptional host is to provide delicious, easy-to-snack-on appetizers. As such, it's worthwhile knowing some reliable appetizer recipes to see you through the festive period, and this cream cheese-stuffed mushrooms recipe, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, is one of them.
Mushrooms and cheese are a match made in heaven, and together they make for an ideal party app for many reasons. First, cheese-stuffed mushrooms are elegant and easy to eat, with white button mushrooms creating the perfect bite-sized cups for guests to feast on without much mess. Second, while these mouthwatering mushrooms feel fancy and festive, they are surprisingly quick and easy to prepare, and don't take long at all to cook up in the oven, which means that your guests can enjoy them fresh and warm. Finally, these stuffed mushrooms are naturally vegetarian and easily adaptable to boot, making them suitable for a wide variety of dietary restrictions.
Gather the ingredients for this cream cheese-stuffed mushrooms recipe
To begin this cream cheese-stuffed mushrooms recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. For the mushroom filling you will want butter, garlic cloves, cream cheese, Parmesan, onion granules, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt and black pepper. For the topping you will need breadcrumbs, pecans, and grated Parmesan, and to complete the recipe you will need white button mushrooms.
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Step 2: Prepare a baking sheet
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3: Clean and prepare the mushrooms
Prepare the mushrooms by cleaning them and removing the stems.
Step 4: Chop the mushroom stems
Finely chop the stems.
Step 5: Heat butter in a pan
Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat.
Step 6: Saute the mushroom stems and garlic
Add the chopped mushroom stems and minced garlic to the pan. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Once cooked, remove the mushroom stems from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
Step 7: Mix the cream cheese filling
In a bowl, combine the cooled mushroom stems, cream cheese, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan, onion granules, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Step 8: Combine Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and pecans for topping
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ⅓ cup grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and pecans.
Step 9: Place the mushroom caps on the baking sheet
Place the mushroom caps onto the prepared baking tray.
Step 10: Fill the mushrooms with the cream cheese mixture
Using a teaspoon, fill the mushroom cups to the brim with the cream cheese mixture.
Step 11: Finish with the topping
Carefully top each mushroom with the breadcrumb mixture.
Step 12: Bake the mushrooms
Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened and the tops are crisp.
Step 13: Serve the cream cheese-stuffed mushrooms
Serve the stuffed mushrooms right away, optionally garnished with parsley.
Other appetizers to serve with cream cheese-stuffed mushrooms
Cream Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
Perfect for holiday parties, these bite-sized cream cheese-stuffed mushrooms are delightfully savory and festive.
Ingredients
- 1 pound white button mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan, divided
- ¼ teaspoon onion granules
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup pecans, chopped
Optional Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, to serve
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the mushrooms by cleaning them and removing the stems.
- Finely chop the stems.
- Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped mushroom stems and minced garlic to the pan. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Once cooked, remove the mushroom stems from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
- In a bowl, combine the cooled mushroom stems, cream cheese, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan, onion granules, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ⅓ cup grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and pecans.
- Place the mushroom caps onto the prepared baking tray.
- Using a teaspoon, fill the mushroom cups to the brim with the cream cheese mixture.
- Carefully top each mushroom with the breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened and the tops are crisp.
- Serve the stuffed mushrooms right away, optionally garnished with parsley.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 416 |
| Total Fat | 31.4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14.8 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.5 g |
| Cholesterol | 67.4 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 18.6 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.1 g |
| Sodium | 531.2 mg |
| Protein | 17.8 g |
How can I switch up this stuffed mushroom recipe?
These cream cheese stuffed mushrooms are sure to be a hit, and there are plenty of options available to you if you want to add your own spin on the recipe. For simple flavor tweaks, try mixing up the cheesy base instead of only relying on cream cheese (delicious as it may be). A tablespoon or two of Boursin cheese will add lots more garlic and herby flavor without any extra effort. Ricotta or goat cheese make excellent alternative soft cheese bases for stuffing your mushrooms, with the former offering a more neutral base and the latter adding a bit of tang. For a bigger cheesy flavor hit, adding some grated Gruyere or cheddar into the mix will work really well with the other flavors, and adding a blue cheese crumble to the top of the mushrooms will give them a pungent kick.
For some larger flavor additions to your mushrooms, folding in some pan-fried pancetta or crumbled bacon will add a delicious meaty finish to the dish. Caramelized onions and mushrooms are a match made in heaven, and mixing these into the cream cheese filling will add a mouthwatering sweet and nutty finish that is perfect for the holiday season. Steamed and well drained spinach is another excellent addition, as are chopped sun-dried tomatoes for an added burst of color as well.
What's the best way to reheat stuffed mushrooms?
If you happen to have any stuffed mushrooms left over after your holiday gatherings, they can be safely stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To restore the stuffed mushrooms to their former glory, it is important to choose the right reheating method. Tossing them in the microwave provides a speedy way to warm them up, but they will end up soggy and limp — an unworthy ending for such a delightful dish.
The absolute best way to reheat these stuffed mushrooms is by putting them back in the oven. Keeping the oven to 325 F and re-baking the mushrooms for 8 to 10 minutes will allow time for the mushrooms to heat through and for the top to become lovely and crisp once more. Alternatively, you can place the mushrooms under a broiler heated to a medium temperature, to similarly get some crisp back to the topping while warming the mushrooms. An air fryer approach would also work, but be sure to check on the mushrooms often to make sure that the filling isn't becoming too soft and seeping out of the caps.