Stuffed mushrooms filled with herbs and Italian sausage make for an easy appetizer! Fresh basil, parsley, breadcrumbs, and cheese fill each cap. I serve this up with a delicious tomato dipping sauce.
Stuffed mushrooms are one Jason’s favorite recipes, and growing up he was accustom to many classic Italian dishes made by his mom or grandma. So of course, I had to add it to my culinary repertoire. You’re going to love these bite-sized mushrooms filled with sausage and herb stuffing.
Whether you’re making a quick nibble on the weekend or having a celebration with your loved ones, this appetizer is always a hit! I like to load the caps up with hearty and wholesome ingredients, so they are handheld two-bite mini meals! If you are ready to cook, let’s get filling!
How to make sausage stuffed mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are a nice way to pack tons of flavor into one cute package. It’s easy to eat while you have your other hand occupied with a glass of wine and even simpler to prepare. I used mini portabella mushrooms because I like the hearty texture, and savory flavor, however, large brown mushrooms will also be an excellent vehicle for flavor delivery.
Each cap is stuffed with Italian sausage, fresh basil, spinach, parsley, breadcrumbs, garlic, onions, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. It’s up to you to decide on pork or chicken sausage. And also if you like your protein sweet, mild or spicy. This recipe is very customizable!
I roast the mushrooms in either a cast-Iron skillet or on a sheet pan with a bed of herbs such as rosemary and thyme so that the mushroom caps infuse the aromas into each bite. A little brush of olive oil on the outside and a sprinkle of salt and pepper before these beauties head into the oven.
Since the sausage filling is already cooked through, you just need to broil it for 10 minutes or less. With the broiling setting on very high, it can get up to 550 degrees F, so cooking happens in a flash. My oven has radiant heat coming from the top of the oven, so I place the mushrooms on the lowest rack which keeps them from burning.
Ah, I can’t wait! No need to head to the Olive Garden now, these sausage stuffed mushrooms are perfect to make when you are waiting for some slow cooker spaghetti and meatballs to finish cooking.
Check out those plump stuffed mushrooms overflowing with delicious meat and coated in breadcrumbs! It only takes 10 minutes in the broiler for the mushrooms to cook, the filling to warm, and the tops to get nice and golden brown.
The contrast of the mini portabella mushrooms and crunchy tops on the filling is irresistible. Just ask my husband, I swear these all disappeared before I could go back for seconds, haha!
If you’re a dipping sauce fan, make sure to make some homemade tomato sauce to serve with these sausage stuffed mushrooms. What are your favorite ingredients to stuff into mushrooms? Do you like an entirely vegetarian version, or gluten-free? I can’t wait to hear what you prefer. Perhaps I could give you some substitution suggestions. Mangia Mangia friend!
How do you properly clean Mushrooms?
First, make sure that you purchase mushrooms that are not slimy or bruised. It is best to use a damp paper towel to wipe clean, one at a time, to remove any dirt on the cap. You can lightly rinse the mushrooms with cool water and pat dry with paper towels, but do not soak them! If too much moisture is absorbed (they like to soak up water like a sponge), the mushrooms will become slimy on the surface and won’t brown evenly when cooked.
Stuffed Mushrooms with Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 12 portobello mushrooms, or large brown mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, more as needed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup yellow onion, minced
- 2 Italian sausages, casings removed, cooked and chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, extra for sprinkling, or panko
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon basil, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed to season
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed to season
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- 6 sprigs rosemary
- 12 sprigs thyme
Instructions
- Set oven to broil, with the baking rack positioned at the lowest level in the oven.
- Gently rinse and dry each mushroom. Remove the stem from the cap. Chop the stems only and place into a small bowl, reserve.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat until hot but not smoking.
- Add minced garlic and onion to the pan. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until onions are tender and translucent, stirring constantly.
- Add chopped mushroom stems, saute until tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add sausage, break into small pieces as it cooks, 4 minutes.
- Add the chopped spinach to the pan, stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the bread crumbs, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Add the chopped parsley, basil, grated parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Lightly coat each mushroom cap with olive oil, and season each side with salt and pepper.
- Stuff each mushroom with about 2 tablespoons of filling, pressing the stuffing into each mushroom cap.
- In an ovenproof pan or foil-lined sheet tray, add a thin layer of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan/tray. Evenly spread out rosemary and thyme on top of the olive oil.
- Place each stuffed mushroom on top of the bed of herbs. Sprinkle each mushroom with bread crumbs.
- Broil in the oven for 10 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender, and the breadcrumbs on top are golden brown.
Equipment
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Theresa says
Hello Jessica,
A question: I see in your Stuffed Mushrooms recipe that you say to chop the stems only and place into a small bowl and reserve, BUT I don’t see anyplace in the remainder of the recipe where to use them. I just added them into the stuffing mixture, but was wondering if you had other ideas for the stems?
Thank you. I will let you know how the recipes comes out.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much for the comment Theresa! Adding the caps to the stuffing mixture is perfect. I’ve updated the recipe, looking forward to hearing your feedback!