My stuffed mushroom recipe is THE perfect party bite. Tender cremini mushroom caps are stuffed with a cheese filling and then rolled in crisp breadcrumb topping and baked to perfection. Prep them ahead of time, and just pop them in the oven when people arrive. Easy!
When I’m hosting a big party, I love to load a big table with crowd-pleasing holiday appetizers. Easy olives, warm baked brie, bacon-wrapped scallops and jalapeño poppers are a few of my go-tos that can be mostly prepped ahead of time.
What Readers Love About This Recipe
I made these for our Christmas party last weekend in our first home and they were a total hit! Surprisingly easy to make and love that they can be prepped ahead of time. We removed the stems from mushrooms and chopped them a day or two before. The night before we made the filling and kept it in the fridge. About 50 minutes before the party we filled the mushrooms and popped them in the oven. - Cheney
Ingredients For Stuffed Mushrooms
- Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms have nice sturdy caps (key for stuffed mushrooms). Cremini mushrooms are more mature than white buttons, so they’re more firm, which is nice for making stuffed mushrooms because cremini will be less susceptible to getting soggy as they bake. Cremini mushrooms are sometimes labeled “baby bella mushrooms” or “baby portabella mushrooms.”
- Cream cheese: to make the mushroom filling super creamy and Parmesan cheese to make it savory and delicious.
- Spices and herbs: Onion powder, a dash of cayenne pepper, and fresh parsley.
- Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs (light, airy Japanese breadcrumbs) are airy and crisp, and keep the stuffed mushrooms from being too heavy. You can use gluten-free panko and it works great!
- Fresh garlic + shallots: For rich, savory flavor, and to balance out the richness of that creamy, cheesy filling.
How To Clean Mushrooms
Some folks will say that you should not use water to clean mushrooms. While I’d never fully submerge the mushrooms in a bowl of water, I do use a damp paper towel to brush any dirt off the mushroom caps. Often, though, grocery store mushrooms are pretty well cleaned before you buy them. Still, give them a look and clean each cap as needed.
How To Make Stuffed Mushrooms Ahead Of Time
There are many ways to make these ahead of time. To me, the easiest thing to do is prep the mushrooms all the way up until you’d bake them, and stop. Then, instead of baking them, I put them in the fridge and store them for up to 24 hours. You can also freeze them (unbaked) for 2 months. The only trick if you want to freeze them is to wait to add the panko until after you thaw them.
How To Make Stuffed Mushrooms
- Pop the stems off of the mushroom caps.
- Make the stuffed mushroom filling. Sauté shallots, garlic and mushroom stems in butter, then stir it into the cheeses, spices and herbs to make the creamy filling.
- Chill the filling for at least 30 minutes.
- Fill the mushroom caps using a spoon or piping bag (or zip-top bag with one corner cut off) will make them easier to fill.
- If you’re making the stuffed mushrooms ahead of time, STOP HERE! Pop the stuffed mushrooms in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Make the crispy topping. Melted butter + panko = crispy topping.
- Bake the stuffed mushrooms for about 25 minutes.
Tips For Stuffed Mushroom Success
- Leftover stuffed mushrooms keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- To reheat stuffed mushrooms, pop them in the toaster oven to warm them up and crisp up the breadcrumbs again.
- To keep your stuffed mushrooms from becoming soggy, bake them on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. This gives any liquid that comes out of the mushrooms a place to drain as they bake, so that the mushroom caps don’t get soggy or rubbery.
- Chill the mushroom filling before you stuff the mushrooms because it’ll help it stay in place as you bake them (rather than oozing out of the caps).
- Want more mushrooms in your life? Start with our how to roast mushrooms guide, and then make your way through everything from pecan stuffed mushrooms to garlic butter oyster mushrooms and finish with our mushroom galette.
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