Stuffed mushrooms are an easy, healthy vegetarian and gluten-free party appetizer or side dish. White button or cremini mushrooms are stuffed with spinach, roasted red pepper, garlic, creamy ricotta and nutty Parmesan cheese. This stuffed mushrooms recipe is finger food at its finest!
I’m a snacker at heart so when party season rolls around and the world is filled with finger foods and bite-sized morsels I am 100% in my element. When it comes to gatherings both large and small, I like to provide cold and warm appetizer options and these Stuffed Mushrooms are always a crowd favorite.
I make a quick filling of ricotta, parmesan, roasted red peppers, spinach, herbs and spices. It’s colorful and unlike a lot of stuffed mushroom recipes, I skip the breadcrumb topping, which makes it gluten-free. I can relax knowing all my guests can enjoy these. Use either button or cremini mushrooms—either will do. This bite-sized party food is colorful, creamy, and loaded with flavor.
Plus, if you’ve ever wondered how to keep warm appetizers warm, keep reading. I have a few tips below!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Stuffed Mushrooms
- How to Make Stuffed Mushrooms
- Should You Wash Mushrooms Before Stuffing?
- How to Keep Mushrooms Warm for Serving
- Ways to Make this Stuffed Mushroom Recipe Your Own
- Make It a Party
- Show Stopping Finger Foods
- Save When You Bundle Our Best-Selling Olive Oil Collection!
- Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
Ingredients for Stuffed Mushrooms
These bite-sized party treats don’t require too much prep work and it’s easy to put someone else to work filling them. Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make this stuffed mushrooms recipe:
- Cremini or white button mushrooms add an earthy and meaty flavor to dishes.
- Extra-virgin olive oil brings a smooth, fruity taste and is a staple in Mediterranean cooking. Any of our olive oils will work for this recipe, but I love our Spanish Hojiblanca Olive Oil because it has a peppery kick to it.
- Salt and black pepper enhance the flavors of the ingredients.
- Baby spinach offers a mild, fresh taste and added nutrients.
- Roasted red peppers lend a sweet and smoky note. You can use store bought or make your own Homemade Roasted Peppers.
- Yellow onions provide a sweet and slightly tangy taste.
- Minced garlic cloves bring a pungent and aromatic kick.
- Italian seasoning adds a blend of herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram and red pepper flakes for a savory profile. I make Homemade Italian Seasoning because it’s salt free and I can adjust it to my liking but you can use store bought as well.
- Whole milk ricotta cheese adds a creamy element and brings all the other ingredients together.
- Parmesan cheese offers a nutty and salty flavor. I just sprinkle some on top just before baking to seal all those flavors in.
- Minced parsley adds a vibrant and refreshing touch as a garnish. I firmly believe in a little pop of fresh color and herbs are an easy way to do that. Afterall, we eat with our eyes first.
How to Make Stuffed Mushrooms
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the mushrooms: Wash and remove stems from mushroom caps to create a well for the filling. If the stems are difficult to remove, use a small spoon to scrape them out. Reserve the stems, you’ll chop them up and add them to the filling later.
- Season the mushrooms: Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Gently toss to coat and place all the mushroom caps in a single layer with the hollow side up.
- Make the filling: Set a medium skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Finely chop the mushroom stems, and add them to the skillet along with the roasted red pepper, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion, garlic, and mushroom stems have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes more.
- Add the cheese: Transfer the vegetables to a medium sized bowl. Add the ricotta and stir to combine.
- Stuff and bake the mushrooms: Use a small spoon to fill each mushroom with a rounded heap of filling. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Bake for 20 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and the cheese is melted. Turn on the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp parmesan cheese on top. Remove from the oven. Garnish with minced parsley and serve.
Should You Wash Mushrooms Before Stuffing?
The short answer is yes you should wash mushrooms. The minimal amount of water the mushrooms might absorb is negligible and won’t impact the favor of these mushrooms one bit.
I usually put mushrooms in a colander, and gently rub them between my fingers under running water to loosen any stubborn dirt.
How to Keep Mushrooms Warm for Serving
When it comes to serving hot appetizers or hors d’oeuvre it can be challenging to keep them warm, but I have used a few tricks over the years and hopefully they can help you as well.
- Use a chafing dish. If you have these they are a great way to keep hot foods hot, but most of us don’t have chafing dishes laying around the house. If you, like me, do not have chafing dishes opt for one of the suggestions below.
- Heat a block of rock salt. Warm a block of salt in the oven and serve the mushrooms on top of the warmed salt. You can find blocks of salt at speciality stores or online, but you can also can also heat crushed rock salt (you want the pieces to stay large) on a sheet pan, and serve the mushrooms on top of the salt. I’ve used this technique when serving grilled or Baked Oysters. Be careful if you’re serving mushrooms on crushed rock salt—a piece of salt could stick to the bottom of the mushroom and no one wants to bite into the that. If using crushed salt place a thin cloth, or piece of foil over the top of it before adding the mushrooms.
- Make good use of your pizza stone or cast iron griddle. These things stay hot forever. Place a towel on the handle so people don’t accidentally grab it, then use your pizza stone or griddle as a warm serving tray.
Ways to Make this Stuffed Mushroom Recipe Your Own
We are kind of big on stuffing things at The Mediterranean Dish. You can find stuffed peppers, stuffed tomatoes and even stuffed onions. The beauty of stuffing any vegetable is that it’s easy to adapt to your own personal tastes.
I wanted to make this stuffed mushrooms recipe vegetarian and gluten free to meet the needs of my holiday guests, but you can easily swap ingredients out to make it your own. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Top with breadcrumbs
- Swap out the ricotta for chevre (goat cheese)
- Add crab to the mix before baking for a seafood flair
- Stir in cooked Italian turkey or chicken sausage to the filling before stuffing the mushroom caps
- Thinly slice grape tomatoes and put one slice in the bottom of each mushroom cap before stuffing
Make It a Party
Mushrooms taste better with company. When it comes to holiday appetizers, graduation snack tables or even intimate dinner parties it’s nice to have options.
To keep things vegetarian, place these stuffed mushrooms on a table alongside Roasted Artichoke Hearts (super easy and made with canned artichoke hearts), Arancini (these take a little time so plan accordingly), and Easy Stuffed Dates (sweet and savory perfection). It’s always a good idea to offer a platter for additional snacking options so to round things out I’ll usually make a Simple Crudité Platter loaded with vegetables and a bowl of Creamy Feta Dip.
The omnivore party table: Consider these options for people who like to mix things up. When variety is required and I want to have a little something for everyone, these stuffed mushrooms also go really well with an Antipasto Platter, sliced baguettes or Focaccia cut into strips and served alongside Olive Tapenade. Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas) are wonderful finger food and fun to make with friends and family assembly line style—many hands make light work.
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Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cremini or white button mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 packed cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 packed cups baby spinach, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely minced parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the mushrooms: Wash and remove stems from mushroom caps to create a well for the filling. If the stems are difficult to remove, use a small spoon to scrape them out. Reserve the stems, you’ll chop them up and add them to the filling later.
- Season the mushrooms: Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Gently toss to coat and place all the mushroom caps in a single layer with the scooped-out side up.
- Make the filling: Set a medium skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Finely chop the mushroom stems, and add them to the skillet along with the roasted red pepper, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion, garlic, and mushroom stems have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes more.
- Add the cheese: Transfer the vegetables to a medium sized bowl. Add the ricotta and stir to combine.
- Stuff and bake the mushrooms: Use a small spoon to fill each mushroom with a rounded heap of filling. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and the cheese is melted. Turn on the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp parmesan cheese on top. Remove from oven. Garnish with minced parsley.
- Serve: Serve the mushrooms warm as an appetizer or a side dish.
Notes
- Mushrooms vary in size. So the filling should be enough for 2 pounds. If you have leftover filling it will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Use it as a spread on sandwiches, top chicken breasts with it and bake in the oven, stir it into pasta, or add a little extra cheese and use it as a dip.
- Mushrooms cool quickly. To keep them warm try these tricks:
- Use a chafing dish. If you have these they are a great way to keep hot foods hot, but most of us don’t have chafing dishes laying around the house.
- Heat a block of rock salt. Warm a block of salt in the oven and serve the mushrooms on top of the warmed salt. Mushrooms cool quickly. To keep them warm try these tricks:
- Make good use of your pizza stone or cast iron griddle. These things stay hot forever. Place a towel on the handle so people don’t accidentally grab it, then use your pizza stone or griddle as a warm serving tray. – serve them on a preheated pizza stone, heat rocksalt
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
Lovely recipe, but please be aware that parmesan is made with animal rennet and therefore not vegetarian. You’d need to use a vegetarian hard cheese alternate in order for these to be actually vegetarian. (Please don’t feed vegetarians parmesan, it makes us sad.)
They were good- although after reading the directions I realized it was a whole lot simpler to just put everything in the food processor to chop and mix! I also added extra Italian seasoning to give it a little more depth.
Really yummy! This recipe is a keeper. One of the best stuffed mushroom recipes I have had. I would love to try it with an addition of crab meat.
Can leftovers be stored in the fridge for a few days?
Hi, Andrea. Yes, you can store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container. Enjoy!
4 Stars for now , will make this week , will use my new Pizza electric oven it should be here tomorrow. I usually do my shrooms wit Italian sausage stuffing never thought of Ricotta , who knew ?? thank you Joseph , James Beard associate 1970s . He hated the smell of fresh Garlic on his hands ..
Hello going to try this recipe instead of my recipe that includes bacon.
Can I prepare day/days in advance and pop in over day of party?
Hi, MGD! I’m Summer and I work here at The Mediterranean Dish. You can absolutely prepare these in advance and put them in the oven the day of. Enjoy!
Most chefs say to wipe mushrooms,not wash under water.
Hi, JV– You are right, a lot of people, chefs included say to wipe the mushrooms, but you really don’t need to. A quick rinse underwater will do the job and won’t destroy the dish.
I’m glad to see you wash mushrooms. I wipe them before storing in a cloth bag in the refrigerator. Just before using, I wash them under running water to remove any dirt and cut off the end of the stem. I drain them on cloth towels and wipe off before cutting. If they are fresh, they don’t absorb much moisture. If they are a few days old, a quick squeeze with paper towels dries them out, and they taste fine. I can’t imagine not washing mushrooms. Is this common procedure? The recipe is scrumptious, and we have made them for two family gatherings.
Hi, Mitch! Sounds like you have a lot of practice working with mushrooms. There is a lot of information on the web saying you can’t wash them, but that’s not true. I wouldn’t soak mushrooms unless they were dehydrated and I needed to reconstitute them but a quick rinse is just fine. So glad you enjoy this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to let us know!