I have a relative that brings stuffed mushrooms to every family gathering or holiday meal but no one ever says a negative word about it. They just rush into the kitchen to grab one as fast as they can because they know that those mushrooms will be gone lickety-split. And they know that they’re good. Really good. Packed with a creamy, cheesy garlic-herb filling, these Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms are the perfect appetizer. Bite-sized but hearty, they’re rich but not quite rich or hearty enough to ruin your meal. (Unless you can’t resist the temptation to make a meal solely out of them, that is.)
The good news is you don’t have to wait for a holiday gathering or a beloved relative to make these, they’re easy to do on your own. You just start by removing the stems from a pound of small mushrooms. (Baby bella or cremini work well.)
And then chopping those stems up finely.
The chopped stems get sauteed in butter until they’re nice and soft…
… and then they’re joined by garlic, thyme, cream cheese, and parmesan.
Once everything is melty and smooth, you pipe the filling into the hole in each mushroom cap…
… and then you bake them until they’re lightly golden brown and the mushrooms themselves are tender.
The combination of earthy mushroom and herby creaminess here is really second-to-none. Since they work for a number of diets (gluten-free, vegetarian…) they’re a great option to bring to parties or potlucks – they always go fast. They’re as foolproof as bite-sized food gets!
Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 lb baby bella or cremini mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped and divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Wipe mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Remove stems and set aside for later use. Arrange mushroom caps on prepared baking sheet.
- Finely chop the reserved mushroom stems.
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushroom stems and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute more. Stir in cream cheese, half of the parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
- Once cheese has melted and mixture is smooth, remove from heat and stir in most of the parsley, reserving some to use for serving.
- Let filling cool slightly, then spoon into a ziptop or piping bag. Snip off one corner of the bag and pipe filling into each mushroom cap.
- Top with remaining parmesan cheese and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Top with remaining fresh parsley, if desired, and serve. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Two Bite Club.