We have our Thanksgiving dinner menu nailed down and I make the same things every year. But every year I wonder what we should put on our Christmas menu and frequently change the menu. One recipe that will definitely be a returning favorite is this one for sausage stuffed mushrooms. This recipe is so easy to make and such a crowd pleaser. It’s made with just a few ingredients if you can believe it, with the three main ingredients being mushrooms, sausage, and cream cheese. We’ve got a few other additions to take them to the next level, but these ingredients are the main ones to get you started. The most important part of this recipe is making sure you get large enough mushroom caps for all that delicious filling. I almost always order my groceries online to pick up, but for these I go in person to make sure I have nice big mushrooms!
Ingredients for Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
- Mushrooms: I like using baby portobella mushrooms, sometimes called “baby bella.” It’s important to make sure your mushrooms are fairly large to hold the filling! The bigger, the better.
- Sausage: I’m using regular pork breakfast sausage, but mild Italian sausage also works. You’re using one pound of ground sausage in this recipe, and any flavor works.
- Cream cheese: This may seem like an interesting addition but trust me, the sausage and cream cheese combination is so delicious and the flavors compliment each other so well.
- Thyme: I put thyme in just about everything this time of year. It reminds me of the holidays!
- Shallot: I don’t like to waste any food, so to start this recipe we are sautéing finely chopped shallot with the finely diced mushroom stems. The shallot gives great flavor to the mushrooms when cooked down.
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese: This is optional, but for extra cheesiness I like to top the mushrooms with shredded parmesan cheese.
- Parsley: A little pop of green helps these stuffed mushrooms to look as good as they taste!
What’s great about these stuffed mushrooms is they are so versatile. They’re amazing as an appetizer, but they’re also so delicious as a holiday side dish. I plan to make these for Christmas alongside Kevin’s grilled beef tenderloin, garlic confit mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and flourless peppermint chocolate cake. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect holiday menu? It’s low stress for me not having to make the entire meal since Kevin handles the main course, and everything is so delicious. We’ll be spending Christmas Eve doing a morning hike, going to evening mass, and eating our traditional German food for dinner. Christmas Day means cinnamon rolls, reindeer pancakes for the kids, presents and matching PJs all day. We’ll watch some Christmas movies, enjoy time together, and have a delicious meal. What could be better?
- 2 lbs. baby portobello mushrooms*
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 lb. ground sausage (I recommend using traditional pork sausage or mild Italian sausage)
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground dried thyme
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Wash and brush the dirt off the mushrooms and remove the stems. Set the mushroom caps in the prepared baking dish and finely chop the stems.
- Melt the butter in a skillet and add the mushroom stems and shallots. Cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms release their liquid and everything has reduced.
- Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking into pieces as it cooks. Add the salt, pepper, and thyme and stir to combine.
- Add the cream cheese and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Scoop the filling into the mushroom caps and top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the cheese is melted.
- Top with finely chopped parsley as a garnish and enjoy!
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