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You’ve probably had a version of stuffed mushrooms as a holiday appetizer – but none as flavorful as these Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms! The earthy mushrooms paired with salty Italian sausage and savory parmesan breadcrumbs make for the perfect one-bite appetizer.
Stuffed mushrooms are a classic holiday, anytime appetizer when hosting. While you can flavor these up in so many ways, I love using Italian sausage for my recipe. It brings so much flavor to the bites! I also love this appetizer because you can easily assemble these in advance then bake them off right before your guests arrive, making your prep work a breeze.
Ingredients:
- Baby Bella or Cremini Mushrooms
- Olive Oil
- Mild Italian Pork Sausage: Sub Hot Sausage if Preferred!
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Green Onions
- Dried Sage
- Paprika
- Salt + Pepper
- Sherry Vinegar
- Cream Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Parsley + Thyme
- Lemon Zest
- Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms Step-by-Step:
Step One: Prep the Mushrooms
After preheating the oven to 400℉, prep the mushrooms. To start, remove the stems from the cleaned mushrooms. Finely mince the mushroom stems and set aside; you will use these in the filling! Next, add the mushroom caps to a prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside.
Step Two: cook the sausage
Next, cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Be sure to break up the sausage with the edge of a spoon into small pieces! Once the sausage is browned, transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
Step Three: Cook the Mushroom Stems
To the same skillet, add the shallot and chopped mushroom stems. Allow the mushroom stems to cook, undisturbed, to get a slightly golden color. Next, add the garlic, white part of the green onions, dried sage, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the spices smell toasted. Pour in the sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan then add the mixture to the bowl with the browned sausage.
Step Four: Finish the Filling
Next, add the green parts of the green onions, softened cream cheese, parmesan, parsley, fresh thyme leaves, lemon zest, and panko breadcrumbs to the bowl with the sausage and mushroom.. Stir until the filling is combined. Set aside.
Step Five: Make the Panko Mixture
In a separate mixing bowl, add the additional panko breadcrumbs, olive oil, kosher salt, parmesan, parsley, and paprika. Toss together to combine.
Step Six: Assemble the Mushrooms
Add about 1 large teaspoon of filling into each mushroom cap. Make sure they are packed tightly with a slight dome shape on top. It’s okay if they look a little overstuffed! Next, flip the mushroom over and press it into the panko mixture.
Step seven: bake and enjoy!
Transfer to a baking sheet, filling side up, and bake for about 35 minutes. The mushrooms will be a deep brown color and the panko will look nice and golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving!
Recipe FAQs:
Absolutely! You can either just make the stuffing ahead of time or you can fully assemble the mushrooms then place in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to bake. When ready to bake, follow the directions below.
Yes! If you use gluten-free panko, this recipe will be gluten-free.
I hope you and your guests love these Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms! Comment below once you make these!
Other holiday appetizers to try:
Baked Feta with Olives, Soppressata and Thyme
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
For the Mushrooms and Filling:
- 16 oz. Baby Bella or cremini mushrooms wiped clean with a damp cloth
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ lb. mild Italian pork sausage, casing removed
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 green onions, minced (white and green parts divided)
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 5 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- ¼ cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
For the Panko Topping:
- ½ cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Make the Mushrooms and Filling:
- Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Finely mince the mushroom stems and set aside. Add the mushroom caps to the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and toss to coat. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the Italian sausage, breaking it up into small pieces and cooking until browned and crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Once the sausage is fully cooked though, use a slotted spoon, and transfer the sausage to a medium mixing bowl.
- To the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, shallot, and chopped mushroom stems. Stir the mixture to coat the mushroom stems and shallot in the oils, and spread into an even layer. Allow the mushroom stems to sear and get golden brown, about 3 minutes before stirring.
- Continue to cook until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has cooked out and the shallots are translucent, about 1 more minute. Add in the garlic, white part of the scallions, dried sage, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the spices smell toasted, about 1 minute. Pour in the sherry vinegar, deglazing the pan and stir to combine. Transfer the contents of the skillet into the medium bowl with the sausage.
- To the bowl, add the green parts of the scallions, softened cream cheese, parmesan, parsley, fresh thyme leaves, lemon zest, panko breadcrumbs. Stir until the filling is combined. Set aside.
For the Panko Topping:
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs, olive oil, kosher salt, parmesan, parsley, and paprika. Toss together to combine.
To Assemble:
- To each mushroom, add about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling, pressing the stuffing into the well of the mushroom cap, ensuring it is tightly packed and forming a dome. It’s okay if they look a little overstuffed! Turn the stuffed mushroom upside down, and gently press the stuffing into the panko topping, rotating it around so it is totally covered, ensuring the topping it is pressed well into the filling so that it sticks. Transfer to the sheet pan, stuffing side up, and repeat.
- Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 35 minutes until the mushrooms are a rich brown and the stuffing is crispy and golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
Easy & delicious!! Perfect for Thanksgiving appetizer spread.
These were amazing!! We subbed regular onion for shallot, red wine vinegar for sherry, Italian bread crumbs for panko, and Rosemary for Sage (since these were ingredients we already had in our pantry).
Ignore previous comment 🙃 i had jumped to recipe and just now read the above. Thanks!
Do you think these could be prepared the day before?
Looks so yummy! Do you think you could prep two days before?
Yes! Find make-ahead tips above in the recipe.