Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms (Garlicky, Golden and Prep Ahead Friendly)

If you want to know which appetizer my family loves most, just watch which platter empties first. It is always these stuffed mushrooms. I put a tray out on the kitchen island before a holiday meal, step away to find the serving spoons, and by the time I turn around there are gaps all over the plate. Tom always insists he took exactly one. The breadcrumbs on his sweater say otherwise.

For something that disappears so fast, the recipe is wonderfully plain. You pull the stems from a batch of white or baby bella mushrooms, mince those stems, and soften them in a skillet with butter and garlic. That mixture gets folded into cream cheese with Parmesan and breadcrumbs, spooned back into the hollow caps and topped with a bit more cheese. Around 40 minutes later you have a pan of hot, golden, garlicky little bites that look like they took all afternoon.

Better still, they are very forgiving. Fill them the evening before, slide them into the oven when the first car pulls into the driveway, and no one will suspect you were still in your slippers ten minutes earlier. I make them every Christmas Eve, for football Sundays, for my garden club and sometimes just for a Friday movie night with Tom. Here is exactly how I put them together.

Why this recipe works

• The stems go into the filling. Nothing is wasted, and the minced stems bring extra mushroom flavor and a nice little chew.
• Those stems get cooked first. A short saute in the pan cooks off their water, which keeps the filling creamy rather than wet.
• Cream cheese holds it all together. It binds the filling, melts into a smooth center and keeps the caps juicy as they bake.
• High heat, short bake. At 400F the tops turn golden and the caps go tender in about 20 minutes, well before they have time to shrivel and leak.
• Dry mushrooms from the start. Wiping instead of washing keeps the caps from absorbing water that would later run out onto the pan.

Ingredients you’ll need

The shopping list is short and simple, and you may already have most of it in the fridge. Measurements are in the recipe card below.

• About 24 medium white or baby bella mushrooms
• Butter plus a splash of olive oil
• Garlic and a small shallot, or a little onion
• Softened cream cheese
• Grated Parmesan
• Plain or Italian style breadcrumbs
• Fresh parsley
• Salt, pepper and a pinch of dried thyme

Ingredient notes and smart substitutions

Mushrooms

Choose mushrooms roughly 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide that feel firm, with smooth tops and caps that are still closed tight underneath. That medium size is ideal, since each one holds a nice spoonful of filling and still eats in two bites. Baby bellas, also called cremini, taste a little deeper and earthier than white mushrooms, so I buy them whenever the store has them. Both kinds turn out great.

Cream cheese

Regular full fat cream cheese makes the richest filling. Leave it out on the counter for half an hour so it mixes in without lumps. Light cream cheese can be used, though the filling will be a bit softer. A tub of garlic and herb spreadable cheese is a tasty swap that adds even more flavor.

Parmesan

Freshly grated Parmesan brings a salty, nutty kick. Part of it goes into the filling and the rest gets sprinkled over the tops. Pecorino Romano works if you like things sharper. For a gooier finish, add a little shredded mozzarella on top as well.

Breadcrumbs

Plain crumbs let the garlic and herbs take center stage, while Italian style crumbs sneak in extra seasoning with no extra effort. Panko gives a lighter, crunchier top. For guests who avoid gluten, use gluten free crumbs or crushed gluten free crackers.

Garlic and shallot

Please use fresh garlic. The jarred kind tastes dull after baking. The shallot adds a soft sweetness, though a couple of tablespoons of minced yellow onion or the white ends of scallions do the job just as well.

How to make it

Step 1. Preheat and oil a pan

Preheat the oven to 400F. Give a rimmed sheet pan or a 9 by 13 inch dish a light coat of oil or spray. The rim is important, since the mushrooms give off some juice while baking and you do not want it dripping onto the oven floor.

Step 2. Wipe the caps and pop out the stems

Gently wipe every mushroom with a damp paper towel to brush away any dirt. Wiggle the stems loose with your fingers and pop them out. For any that will not budge, run a small spoon around the base, which also hollows out a bit more space for filling. Arrange the caps on the pan with the open side facing up, then mince the stems finely.

Step 3. Cook the stems and aromatics

Set a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter together with the oil. Add the minced stems, the shallot and a pinch of salt. Stir often for 4 to 5 minutes, until the juices they give off have evaporated and the bits begin to brown. Add the garlic and thyme and stir for another minute, just until you can smell the garlic. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool briefly.

Step 4. Mix the filling

Put the soft cream cheese in a medium bowl and add the breadcrumbs, the parsley, most of the Parmesan and the cooled mushroom mixture. Grind in some pepper, stir well and give it a taste. Make it boldly seasoned, since the caps themselves are quite mild.

Step 5. Stuff the caps

Fill each cap with a heaping spoonful, piling it a little above the edge. A small cookie scoop speeds this up and keeps them uniform. Scatter the rest of the Parmesan over the tops, and if you like deeper browning, drizzle the pan lightly with oil.

Step 6. Bake until golden

Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the mushrooms and the tops are nicely browned. Leave them on the pan for 5 minutes, shower them with a little more parsley and serve them warm.

Do not be alarmed if a small pool of liquid collects on the pan. That is simply juice from the mushrooms and it is perfectly normal. Use a spatula to move them to your platter and leave the liquid behind on the pan.

For extra crunchy, deeply browned tops, finish with 1 to 2 minutes beneath the broiler. Stand right there and watch, because the cheese goes from golden to scorched in a blink.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Washing them in a bowl of water. Mushrooms soak up liquid like a sponge. Rinse only truly dirty ones and dry them right away.
• Putting raw stems in the filling. Uncooked stems weep in the oven and make everything soggy. That quick trip to the skillet matters.
• Cream cheese straight from the fridge. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy and is hard to stir. Soften it first.
• Buying very small mushrooms. Tiny caps barely hold any filling and tend to overcook before the tops have a chance to brown.
• Leaving them in too long. After about 25 minutes the caps start to shrink and release liquid. Pull the pan once the caps are tender and the tops golden.

Make ahead and storage

Make ahead. Honestly, this is my favorite part. Fill the caps, wrap the pan well and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bake them cold, straight from the fridge, and tack on 3 to 5 minutes. The filling alone can also be made 2 days early and kept covered in the refrigerator.

Fridge. Leftover mushrooms keep up to 3 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. They lose a little firmness, but the flavor holds up well.

Freezer. I freeze the filling rather than finished mushrooms, because frozen stuffed caps tend to get mushy and wet as they thaw. The filling keeps up to 2 months in a sealed container. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, fill fresh caps and bake as usual.

Reheating. Spread leftovers on a sheet pan and warm them at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes. You can use the microwave if you are in a rush, but the tops will lose their crunch.

Variations

Once you have made the basic version, it is easy to dress them up for different occasions. These are the twists my kids and grandkids request most.

• Sausage stuffed. Cook 1/2 pound of mild Italian sausage to 160F, drain off the grease and mix it into the filling. They become filling enough for a light supper.
• Spinach artichoke. Stir in 1/2 cup of thawed frozen spinach, squeezed dry, plus a few chopped marinated artichoke hearts.
• Cheddar and bacon. Use sharp cheddar in place of the Parmesan and add 4 strips of cooked, crumbled bacon.
• Crab stuffed. Gently fold 6 ounces of lump crabmeat and a squeeze of lemon juice into the filling for an elegant holiday version.
• Spicy. Stir in some minced pickled jalapenos or a pinch of red pepper flakes.

What to serve with it

These mushrooms fit into just about any party spread. At holiday time, I pair them with a cheese and cracker board, a platter of shrimp cocktail, some crostini or bruschetta and a bowl of candied pecans. On football Sundays they sit right next to wings, sliders and a big warm dip.

They also work beautifully as a side for a special dinner. Set them beside a seared steak, sliced roast beef or a plain roasted bird with salad and mashed potatoes. Pair them with a bowl of pasta and a crunchy Caesar, and an ordinary Tuesday suddenly feels like a dinner out.

When I plan a party, I figure 3 or 4 mushrooms per guest when there are several other appetizers, and up to 6 each when they are one of just a few choices. One batch makes about 24, and it doubles easily. Bake the doubled batch on two pans and swap their positions in the oven halfway through so they brown evenly.

To keep them warm through a long evening, keep them on a warming tray. Another trick is baking two rounds, starting the second pan about 30 minutes after the first, so there is always a hot batch coming out just as the first platter runs low.

However you serve them, make more than you think you will need. I have never once had too many.