These Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms are the ultimate party appetizer! Stuffed with a creamy sausage filling, then baked until deliciously golden, every bite is a flavor explosion. They can even be assembled and prepped ahead of time!
This is one of my Finger Food recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
I love mushrooms… ummm, like a LOT. One of my favorite ways to eat a mushroom, is stuffed!
Whenever our family goes out to dinner, we always want to get the stuffed mushrooms on the appetizer menu. The problem is, you get about 5 mushrooms per order. Well I don’t know about you, but I could eat more than 5 by myself, let alone share them!
So this recipe hits all those amazing flavor notes of a restaurant-style stuffed mushroom, but you get a larger amount to share (or not – no judgement here!).
When I first made these, my husband hadn’t even finished his first mushroom before he was reaching for another one and proclaiming that I needed to make these again. Needless to say, they are definitely our family’s favorite!
These mushrooms are so creamy, so savory, so full of flavor… I know you won’t be able to just eat one!
How to make sausage stuffed mushrooms?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Remove mushroom stems. Chop the stems and set them aside.
- Cook sausage. Crumble it as it cooks, then remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Cook onion and garlic. Cook them in the sausage grease if possible.
- Deglaze with wine. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- Cook mushroom stems. Set aside to cool.
- Make filling. Combine cream cheese, egg yolk, cheese, sausage, onion mixture.
- Chill filling. This helps the filling set up a bit so it doesn’t get too runny in the oven.
- Assemble. Use a small spoon to fill mushroom caps, creating a small mound over each mushroom.
- Bake. Bake mushrooms until hot and bubbly.
- Let cool. Let the mushrooms sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, then serve.
Helpful Tip!
After you’ve cooked the Italian sausage, don’t clean out the skillet or drain off the grease. That grease adds so much flavor, as well as any browned bits that remain in the skillet.
Variations of this recipe
- Mushrooms – I like to use white button mushrooms for this recipe because they’re easy to find and relatively inexpensive. Baby portobello mushrooms (sometimes called baby bellas or creminis) are a great alternative.
- Sausage – if you don’t like spicy Italian sausage, feel free to use mild or sweet. You can even use non-Italian sausage if you’d like.
- Alcohol-free – even though the vast majority of any alcohol is cooked off in this recipe, if you’d rather skip it all together, just omit the wine and replace it with an equal amount of chicken broth.
- Cheese – try playing around with different types of cheese for this recipe. Cheddar, white cheddar, monterey jack, asiago, etc are all great options.
- Panko – if you like a crunchy topping on your stuffed mushrooms, mix together 2 Tbsp of melted butter with 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs, then sprinkle over the top of the filled mushrooms. Bake as directed.
- Air fryer – I haven’t officially tested this recipe in an air fryer, although I’m sure it would work well. My guess would be to air fry them at 390°F for 7-8 minutes or so. You’d need to do this in batches so the mushrooms will fit in a single layer.
FAQ’s
The most common and best utilized types are either white button mushrooms (like I’ve used) or baby portobello mushrooms (sometimes labeled baby bella, or cremini). These varieties have a nice round cap, which is perfect for stuffing!
My favorite way requires no tools at all… just use your hands! Hold the mushroom cap in your non-dominant hand, the grab the stem with your dominant hand and give it a firm twist. Most of the time, it pops right out! If not, just grab any leftover stem pieces and twist them out. You can also use a small paring knife – just be careful!
That’s a bit of a debate in the food-world. Mushrooms are pretty absorbent, so if you wash them or submerge them in water, they can become rubbery when you cook them. Other people think if you don’t wash them, you’re eating dirty food. Here’s what I personally do. For mushrooms that just have a little bit of light dirt on them, I don’t wash them. Instead, I take a damp paper towel and wipe them off. For the mushrooms that are pretty dirty, I wash them.
Making stuffed mushrooms ahead of time
While baking these ahead of time isn’t recommended for the best flavor and texture, you can absolutely assemble them ahead of time.
Follow recipe up until the baking part, then add mushrooms to an airtight container in a single layer (or add them to a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap).
Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let sit on the counter at room temperature while the oven is preheating, then bake as directed.
Storage
Leftover stuffed mushrooms should be refrigerated in an airtight container, and eaten within 5 days.
Freezing
Great news; stuffed mushrooms can be frozen!
Add assembled but unbaked stuffed mushrooms to a wax/parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 2 hours, or until frozen solid.
Transfer to a freezer-safe container, label with the date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
For reheating, add frozen mushrooms to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 35-40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly throughout.
My Favorite Baking Sheets!
These large baking sheets are the perfect size for making these mushrooms. I’ve had several of these baking sheets for years and they hold up so well!
Recipe adapted slightly from The Pioneer Woman
Recipe originally posted in May of 2015, and has been updated with new photos and additional information in November of 2021.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 24 oz white button mushrooms
- 1/3 – 1/2 lb ground spicy Italian sausage
- 1/2 large yellow onion minced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine such as a chardonnay
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated is best
- minced fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Clean mushrooms, then remove stems. I like to give the stems a twist, and they loosen up to remove them, or you can use a knife.
- Finely chop mushroom stems and set aside.
- Add a small drizzle of oil to a large skillet and heat over MED HIGH heat. Once skillet is hot, add sausage. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon or potato masher, for about 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through and finely crumbled.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage to a plate. Then reduce heat to MED LOW.
- In the same skillet, with the sausage drippings, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes.
- Pour in wine, using a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, cooking a few minutes, until most of the wine is reduced and cooked off.
- Add chopped mushroom stems, salt, pepper and thyme and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove to the plate with the sausage and let cool a little.
- In a mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese, egg yolk, and Parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine.
- Stir in sausage mixture from the plate and make sure it’s well combined.
- Cover bowl and refrigerate for about 1 hour. This helps firm the filling up so it doesn't run all over the mushrooms.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Use a small spoon (or even a teaspoon measuring spoon) to fill mushrooms with the cream cheese mixture, pressing gently to fill the cavity. Add a little more to create a small mound on top of the mushroom.
- Repeat with remaining mushrooms. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. I like to broil mine for a minute or so at the end of baking to make sure the filling is nice and golden.
- Let cool 5-10 minutes, sprinkle with minced parsley (if using), and serve.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
To Make Ahead of Time
- Follow recipe up until the baking part, then add mushrooms to an airtight container in a single layer (or add them to a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap).
- Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let sit on the counter at room temperature while the oven is preheating, then bake as directed.
To Freeze
- Add assembled but unbaked stuffed mushrooms to a wax/parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 2 hours, or until frozen solid.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container, label with the date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- For reheating, add frozen mushrooms to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 35-40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly throughout.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Christine says
This has become my “go to” recipe for Thanksgiving. Year after year my family anticipates these mushrooms. Thank you!
Jenna says
THE BEST EVER. We make them for EVERYTHING. Huge hit always.
Marie papa says
Do I have to cook sausage before I stuff the mushrooms
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, as directed in step 3. Otherwise the mushrooms would be swimming in grease.
Ken says
It was very tasty. Only differences I did was used red onions because I didn’t have yellow. And I added mozzarella and an Italian 5 cheese blend.
Sandra says
Everyone at my house loved this! It was a huge hit!
Allyson Zea says
This looks soooo tasty! I love the flavors in the filling!
Amanda Livesay says
These are the best little appetizer. I’ll be serving them at all my parties this holiday season!
Vikki says
Incredible appetizer! The whole family loved it
Dorothy Reinhold says
What a perfect addition to any holiday party! Love these!
Kimberly says
Absolutely scrumptious, these were a total showstopper!
Beth says
I know these are appetizers, but I’m thinking I’ll just have a bunch of them for dinner! Om nom nom.
Karen says
Once again, you’ve made me look like a real cook!!! These were delicious! I brought them as an appetizer for a small dinner party. Everyone loved them! I followed your recipe exactly. Wouldn’t change a thing. I had 30 mushrooms and was able to fill all with the measurements for 8 servings. Thank you again, Amanda for another wonderful recipe.
Kaye says
These stuffed mushrooms are excellent! I will definitely make them again!
Amy wolk says
Can I pre make these? How to store overnight before putting them in them in the oven ?
The Chunky Chef says
You sure can! Just add them to an airtight container in a single layer and refrigerate 🙂 Or you can also keep them on a foil lined baking sheet, cover them with foil and refrigerate the whole baking sheet. That way they’re ready to go when you need to bake them… although you’d need a lot of room in your refrigerator for that one.
Amanda says
This recipe looks cool. I will definable going to cook it. Hope I will be able to make stuffed mushrooms just like it appears in the image.
Regards,