One of the first dishes I learned to make from my mom was her highly prized stuffed mushrooms. This is likely because I was enlisted for separating mushroom caps from stems and subsequently stuffing the caps after she carefully seasoned and mixed her “secret” ingredients into the filling. These mushrooms are a labor of love. I love to eat them and I certainly love to serve them up at the holidays, but there is some labor and a level of expectation involved that gives me trepidation.
After I mastered these hors d’oeuvres in my 20s, I got the feeling I was only invited to some holiday gatherings if I had stuffed mushrooms in tow. My eager offers to make apple pie, trendy side dishes, even the turkey, were quickly dismissed for the mushrooms. In weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law, will confirm repeatedly, “Are you bringing the mushrooms?” And when I arrive at the threshold, I’m asked again, “Did you bring the mushrooms?” as if my ticket to enter. I understand. They are delicious and I love to share these delightful one-bite punches of mushroom, garlic and cheese with those I love. But as a chef, I resist being pinned a one-trick pony.
With its lack of holiday gatherings, 2020 gave me a mushroom reprieve. Instead, I tested and edited the recipe so that I could share it with you and those with whom I share the holidays in normal times…so that they can make their own. They are really quite simple. Just don’t get too good. You’ll be asked to bring them to every single gathering in place of anything else you are likely very well equipped to cook.
I’ve tweaked my mom’s recipe over the years. Unbeknownst to me, she never used fresh garlic, only garlic powder in her mushrooms. When I first started to recreate these on my own, I just assumed fresh garlic and never went back. My mom is also a loyalist to the canister of Italian Seasoned breadcrumbs. I much prefer panko crumbs with a simple blend of my own dried seasonings. You can choose. And my sister taught me to dress these up with some fresh parsley leaves once plated.
Garlicky Stuffed Mushrooms
Yield: 2 dozen stuffed mushrooms, about 6 servings
What You Need:
20 ounces mushrooms (white button, baby bella, cremini mushrooms or a medley of those)
2 small yellow onions, peeled and quartered
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Parsley leaves, minced
What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
With a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, wipe the mushrooms clean. Separate the stems from the caps. Lay the caps out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Trim and discard any dirty or woody ends of the stems. Set stems aside.
In a food processor, pulse the onions until finely minced.
Heat a 10-inch sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter is melted, add the onion and a few generous pinches of kosher salt.
Meanwhile, process or pulse the trimmed mushroom stems with the garlic cloves in the food processor until finely minced. When the onion is soft, add the minced mushroom and garlic mixture, a few generous pinches of kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Add more olive oil or butter if the pan is dry. Sauté until very soft and just starting to brown, about 6-7 minutes.
Transfer the mixture from the sauté pan to a mixing bowl. Add the garlic powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, bread crumbs and mozzarella and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
With your fingers or a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with the mixture. The filling should be mounded above the cap. Arrange filled caps on the baking sheet in a single layer with a little bit of space in between. They bake best when not touching.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese is melted, tops are golden brown and crisp, and mushroom caps are tender. Cool about 5 minutes before transferring to a platter.
Garnish with minced fresh parsley leaves.