Creamy, umami, and perfectly filling, this recipe for vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms with herbs and cheese is one of our favorite Italian-inspired appetizers. Simply made with fewer than 10 ingredients, this easy starter will be ready for eating in just 45 minutes.
First rinse and wipe dry the white button mushrooms. Slice off a bit of the muddy part of the stalks and discard them. Then just break stalk from each of the mushrooms.
Keep the stalks as well as the mushroom caps aside. Optionally you can brush the mushroom stalks lightly with olive oil.
Chop off all the stalks finely.
Making mushroom stuffing
Heat ½ to 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Add 1 teaspoon of the finely chopped garlic.
Sauté the garlic for some seconds on a low heat. No need to brown them.
Then add ⅓ cup of the finely chopped onions.
Begin to sauté the onions on a low to medium heat, till they become light golden or golden.
Now add the finely chopped mushroom stalks.
Mix very well and sauté on a medium heat. The mushrooms would first release some moisture or water.
Saute till the mushroom mixture is dried and there is no water or moisture.
Then add ½ to ¾ teaspoon of crushed black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried basil and ¼ teaspoon dried oregano. You can also use your choice of dried herbs or add fresh herbs.
Also season with salt according to taste.
Mix very well and switch off the heat. At this point you can add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs to the stuffing if you like.
Let the mushroom stuffing become warm or cool down. Taste and if required add more herbs, black pepper or salt.
Making stuffed mushrooms
Now with a small spoon place the stuffing in each mushroom cap. Before you begin stuffing the mushroom caps, preheat your oven at 180 degrees celsius for 15 to 20 minutes.
Top up with some grated cheese. You can use processed cheese, cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese.
Grease a baking tray with some olive oil. You can also use butter instead of olive oil for greasing the baking tray.
Place the stuffed mushroom caps on a baking tray.
Keep the baking tray in the preheated oven. If you prefer, drizzle a bit of olive oil on the stuffed mushrooms in the baking tray. Bake for 180 degrees celsius for 15 to 20 minutes.
You need to bake till the mushrooms shrink a bit in size and water starts releasing from them. The cheese will also melt and the color of the mushrooms will darken.
Allow to cool for a few minutes and then serve stuffed mushrooms hot as starter dish with any dip or chutney or sauce.
Do not serve after the mushrooms cool down as they become too soggy and soft. So they are best had when they are hot. You can garnish with some spring onion greens or chives or fresh herbs while serving.
Notes
In this recipe, I have used white button mushrooms. You can also use cremini mushrooms.
You can alter the spices and herbs as per your taste. Opt to increase the amount of herbs if you prefer.
You can also add your choice of herbs. If using fresh herbs then add it as a garnish once the mushrooms are baked. If using dried herbs then add them in the stuffing before baking.
Do not under-bake the mushrooms as then they may have a raw taste and will be soggy with water.