Deciding the food for a party is always a tedious but exciting task. If your guests are a mix of vegetarians and non-vegetarians then it is even more difficult. While deciding on the appetisers, if you are stuck as to what to make for those fussy vegetarian friends of yours, these stuffed mushroom can come to your rescue. They are very easy to make and you would have plenty of time to make the remaining dishes. You can also serve it as a side dish to meat or any other non-veg dishes as well. You can also be as creative as you wish with the filling. Read on to learn how to make this delicious and mouth-watering stuffed mushrooms.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 35 to 40 minutes
Resources Required:
- 18 to 25 button mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 small shallots
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 table spoons walnuts
- Salt to taste
- 2 table spoons chopped parsley
- 1 tea spoon dried thyme
- 2 table spoons bread crumbs
- 2 table spoons sherry or stock
- 2 table spoons olive oil
- 2 table spoons grated parmesan cheese
- Baking tray
- Frying pan
- Spatula
- food processor
Instructions:
1. Preparations
- Wash the mushrooms thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt.
- Slightly pat them dry and then remove the stalk. Either snap them off or if you find that difficult, then use a knife to cut them off carefully. Don’t discard. Keep them aside.
- Using a teaspoon, scoop out the insides of the mushrooms and discard.
- Now, take the mushrooms stems that you had kept aside and chop them finely. Also, slice the shallots and walnuts finely and mince the garlic clove.
- Place the frying pan over medium high heat and add a bit of the butter.
- Once the butter sizzles, put mushrooms in it and toss well. Season with enough salt and pepper and if you want you can add some of the dried thyme as well.
- Once the mushrooms are all well seared on all sides transfer them on to the baking tray.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Make the stuffing
- Return the same frying pan over medium high heat and add the remaining butter.
- Once it starts to sizzle, add the chopped mushroom stems and the shallots and saute for about four to five minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add the minced garlic and chopped walnuts to this mixture and continue cooking for a further two more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the parsley leaves, the dried thyme and breadcrumbs. Mix just once.
- Take a food processor and pour in the sherry or stock. Add the remaining mixture and pulse a couple of times to get a fine paste like mixture.
3. Assembling and cooking
- Fill each of the mushrooms on the tray with the stuffing. Take about a teaspoon of the filling for each of the mushrooms if possible.
- Place them back on the tray and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese all over each mushroom.
- Place the tray into the center shelf of the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or till you notice that the cheese has browned a bit.
- Alternatively, you can also grill the mushroom, but do so only for about 5 to 6 minutes or till the mushrooms have turned slightly caramelised and golden.
- Once done, take them out of the oven, rest for five minutes, sprinkle some more parsley on top and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Can I freeze stuffed mushrooms?
It is not advisable to freeze stuffed mushrooms because they contain a lot of water. When you freeze them the water molecules expand disturbing the mushroom’s structure. So, once you defrost the mushroom, you will end up with mushrooms making it soggy and disastrous.
Quick Tips:
1. If you want a more richer filling for the mushroom, mix some cream cheese into the above-mentioned stuffing and use that. In such case, sprinkle the bread crumbs on top instead of adding it along with the stuffing and omit the parmesan cheese.
2. Add any flavouring of your choice like soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Indian spices etc to enhance the flavor.
3. Prepare the stuffed mushrooms in advance and then just bake them when you are ready to serve.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Make sure you don’t overcook the mushrooms as they can dry out and taste horrid.
- If you are sprinkling cheese on top, watch carefully to not let it burn or turn too brown.
