Stuffed Mushrooms

Made with Italian sausage, cream cheese, and fresh herbs, these Stuffed Mushrooms make the perfect easy appetizer recipe!

Just like Bacon-Wrapped Dates and Texas Caviar, Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms can be prepared in advance and served at room temperature, making them a perfect recipe to entertain with.

If you are looking for an easy appetizer that always impresses, these Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms fit the bill!

The filling for these stuffed mushrooms is made with spicy Italian sausage that is mellowed out with both cream cheese and shredded cheese. It is a cheesy, slightly spicy, creamy, flavorful filling and downright heavenly. 

If that wasn't enough, the stuffed mushrooms are topped with a buttery, crisp, breadcrumb, adding flavor and texture to the appetizer.

Not only is this recipe for stuffed mushrooms incredibly delicious, but they are also fairly easy to make and can be prepared in advance, which makes for easy entertaining. 

There is nothing NOT to love about these Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.

Notes on Ingredients Needed

• Button Mushrooms: Because of their size and natural cavity, button mushrooms are the perfect vessel for stuffing and serving as a bite-sized appetizer.
• Sausage: Use store-bought or homemade ground Italian Sausage to give the stuffing so much zip and flavor. Turkey or chicken Italian sausage is a great option to keep this recipe a bit lower in fat and calories.
• Cream Cheese: Cream cheese gives this filling so much creamy goodness. You can use full-fat cream cheese or ⅓ less-fat cream cheese. Do not use fat-free cream cheese, as it can cause your filling to be watery and separate.  
• Cheese: To add an additional cheesy richness to the filling for the stuffed mushrooms, I recommend using a combination of both mozzarella and parmesan, for both flavor and melting factor. Feel free to replace the mozzarella with fontina or gruyere cheese.
• Shallots: Instead of using garlic and onions, shallots work best to lend a mild onion and garlic flavor to the filling, without overpowering the other ingredients. 
• Panko Breadcrumbs: I highly recommend using panko breadcrumbs, to keep the topping light and crisp. 

How to Make Stuffed Mushrooms

• Instead of running the mushrooms under water, which will cause them to soak up water and become soggy, use a damp kitchen towel or damp paper towel to gently rub the dirt off the mushrooms.
• Remove the stems of the mushrooms, and place the mushroom caps on a baking sheet. 
• Chop the stems of the mushrooms up finely. They will add bulk and an earthy flavor to the filling. Not to mention, cut down on food waste!

• Brush the mushroom caps evenly with melted butter. This will help flavor each layer of the mushrooms and form a barrier to keep the cream cheese sausage filling and the mushrooms from making one or the other soggy.

• To begin to prepare the filling, brown the sausage over medium-high heat in a large saute pan, breaking the sausage into bite-sized pieces as it browns. 
• Once browned, drain off the grease and transfer the cooked sausage to a large mixing bowl and return the skillet to the heat.

• To the skillet, add the butter to melt. Once melted, add in the shallots, chopped mushroom stems, and thyme and saute for just a couple of minutes, or until the shallot is just soft. Don't be tempted to saute the shallots and mushroom stems with the sausage.  It is best to keep them separate, s that the porous mushrooms don't absorb the grease rendered from the sausage, which can make your filling overly greasy.

• Once the shallots and mushrooms are softened, remove them from the heat and add them to the mixing bowl with the browned sausage. 
• Add in the cream cheese, cheese, and seasonings until the ingredients are well combined.

• Fill each cavity of the mushroom caps with the prepared filling.
• For the breadcrumb topping, mix together the remaining melted butter and breadcrumbs and dip/roll the top of the mushroom in the panko mixture. This topping gives these stuffed mushrooms a crispy texture that is a perfect contrast to the softer filling and mushroom.

• Once the mushrooms are assembled, bake until warmed through and the topping is browned.
• Transfer the stuffed mushrooms to a tray and serve warm or at room temperature.

Note on Serving

Stuffed Mushrooms can safely be left at room temperature for up to 2 hours, making them a great appetizer to serve at a gathering. 

Preparing in Advance

This recipe for Stuffed Mushrooms can be assembled up to 12 hours in advance, making this a great recipe to entertain with effortlessly!

• Prepare the stuffed mushrooms as directed up to baking.
• Place the mushrooms in a single layer in an airtight container and refrigerator and refrigerate for up to 12 hours, any longer than that, the mushrooms can begin to get soggy.
• When ready to bake, remove them from the refrigerator while the oven is preheating.
• Bake for 25 minutes, instead of 20 minutes.

More Party-Worthy Appetizers

• Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Wonton Tacos
• Deviled Eggs
• Crab Cakes
• Air Fryer Chicken Wings
• Baked Brie

If you tried these Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below!

This recipe was originally published in 2020 and updated in 2022.