Tender mushrooms stuffed with a wine-y sausage-mascarpone mixture. And cheese! Plenty of cheese for us dairy-fiends. Warn your tastebuds because it’s a given that you will eat a molten hot mushroom straight out of the oven and burn your mouth off. I’m sorry, but it’s just gonna happen.
I almost always order stuffed mushrooms at restaurants if they’re on the menu, but they’re often a huge letdown. Either too full of cream cheese and cheese so there is no flavor or texture difference, or too chunky with not-enough-creaminess. Oh and don’t get me started on the filling-to-mushroom ratio (ok fine, I like a pleasantly plump ratio-not overflowing). I’m so high-maintenance about my ‘shrooms, huh? These are so flavorful and the perfect mixture of textures so you get the creamy and gooey cheesiness with sautéed veggies and sausage to break it all up.
Take care not to overcook your mushrooms so you still have a little snap to them…if they’re shriveled and wrinkly all over (sorry for the mental images that might come up), they’re overcooked! It’s okay, they’ll still be good, but you might be a little sad that they’re not everything they could be.
Stuffed mushrooms show up on my party spread about 75% of the time. They’re always crowd pleasers, delicious served hot, warm or at room-temperature (sometimes I eat leftovers straight out of the fridge) and are great finger foods that people can snatch up and easily pop in their mouths for a one-biter. You may just start making them for yourself for your own little one-person party!
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
Description
Tender mushrooms stuffed with a wine-y sausage-mascarpone mixture. And CHEESE!
Ingredients
- 1–1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, rinsed and stems removed (reserve stems and coarsely chop)
- Olive oil
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed (if necessary)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1/3 cup (about 1–1/2 ounces) freshly ground Parmesan, divided
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
TOPPING:
- 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons reserved Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Place a cooling rack inside a sheet pan large enough to hold it. Toss the mushroom caps with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the caps, stem-side-down, on the cooling rack. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the caps are just tender. Set aside to make the filling.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, sprinkle with salt and sauté for about 1 minute, until slightly softened. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Reduce the heat to medium and add the sausage, using the back of your spoon to break it up into small pieces. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the sausage is cooked through and slightly crispy. Add the white wine and cook for an additional 1 minute, until the liquid is evaporated. Remove from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the mascarpone, 1 ounce Parmesan, and parsley. Add the sausage mixture, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Generously fill each mushroom cap with the filling and place on the baking sheet.
- Combine the panko and reserved 1/2 ounce Parmesan in a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle on top of each mushroom. Drizzle with olive oil to help color.
- Preheat the broiler on high. Broil the mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mushrooms are warmed through and the topping is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm.
- Category: Appetizers