Meatless
Vegetarian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Vegetarian stuffed portobello mushrooms are overflowing with a creamy blend of three cheeses and crowned with crisp savory breadcrumbs.
At a glance
What stands out: You won’t want to miss these vegetarian stuffed portobello mushrooms, overflowing with a creamy blend of three cheeses and crowned with crisp savory breadcrumbs. Even though the cheesy filling makes this meal feel like a splurge, one filled mushroom is less than 300 calories!
How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: baking sheet, small skillet, oven
Servings: 4
Stuff It!
We think we've stuffed about everything! A savory stuffing adds so much excitement to ordinary vegetables. If you’re a fan of zucchini, you have to try cheese & pesto stuffed zucchini or boursin cheese stuffed zucchini. They are memorable! Caprese couscous stuffed tomatoes make a wonderful lunch! Spaghetti squash lends itself well to stuffing; you can serve it right in the shell. Our family loves pizza stuffed spaghetti squash and chicken fajita stuffed spaghetti squash.
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Satisfying and flavorful! These vegetarian stuffed portobellos are so good! With melty, creamy cheese, zippy little bites of sun-dried tomatoes, and crispy buttery garlicky bread crumbs — oh, yes, we'll take these any day. You’re gonna love them!
Meatless main dish or hearty appetizer. Mushrooms feel meaty so they satisfy the even carnivores in your family — just hand them a steak knife and watch them dig in. (Still feel like you need a little meat? We do have a couple of recipes for meat-stuffed mushrooms. Try coq au vin stuffed mushrooms or chicken Parmesan stuffed portobello mushrooms.) Stuffed mushrooms are popular appetizers, too! Use smaller mushrooms that are finger food size.
Not difficult to make. When you hear “stuffed”, you may think the recipe is tricky. But it isn’t! There are just three straightforward steps to this recipe: prepping the mushrooms, making the filling, and spooning it into the mushrooms. Pop them into the oven for just 15 minutes. They can be prepped ahead, too, and baked when you’re ready.
Margie Said:
“This was excellent and straightforward! … Absolutely nothing we would change. Thanks so much for this recipe!”
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What goes in
- Portobello mushrooms: For a main dish, you’ll need four mushrooms, large enough to hold lots of the luscious filling. The mushrooms are brushed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: We usually use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes. If you use sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil, we would pat the tomatoes with paper towels to absorb some of the excess oil.
- Lots of cheese! The mushrooms are stuffed with a mixture of creamy ricotta, gooey mozzarella, and flavorful Parmesan, a reliable trio!
- Fresh chopped basil: We love the sharp aroma of fresh basil, don’t you?
- Bread crumb topping: These stuffed mushrooms boast a crispy panko crown, with melted butter, garlic, parsley, and oregano. Regular bread crumbs are okay but we like panko better because it gets crispier. Did you know that you can make from-scratch bread crumbs? It’s a great way to use up day old bread and they are straightforward to mix.
How it comes together
Prep the mushrooms. Carefully brush each mushroom clean using a soft brush or a damp paper towel. Scrape out the gills, and twist off the stem. Discard the gills and stem.
Season. Lightly brush the outsides with olive oil, and season the insides with salt and pepper.
Make the filling. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, blend together the three cheeses, finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil.
Fill the mushroom caps. Evenly spoon the filling into the mushroom caps.
Make the topping. In a small skillet, melt butter. Add minced garlic and cook briefly. Add the panko and Italian seasonings. Crown the mushrooms with this savory topping.
Bake. Pop the pan of stuffed mushrooms into the oven and bake them. It will take about fifteen minutes for the cheese to get melty and the topping to brown. So tasty!
Ways to serve it
As a main course: Vegetarian stuffed portobello mushrooms are a lighter meatless main dish. Serve them with a fresh green salad like this classic arugula salad or tomato cucumber salad.
As a side dish: Stuffed mushrooms are a hearty side dish, reliable with air fryer salmon, straightforward baked salmon with lemon and chives, spice rubbed pork tenderloins, or this bruschetta chicken.
What wine goes well with mushrooms? Stuffed portobello mushrooms have a meaty texture and robust flavor, almost like a steak. Accordingly, choose the same wine you would serve with a steak. Try a fruity Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon. A full-bodied craft beer is good, too, like stout or brown ale.
Pro Tips
Remove the gills. The dark gills on the undersides of mushrooms are totally edible but sort of unsightly, especially in portobello mushrooms. They tend to turn the filling dark and make it more watery. Besides, if you remove them, there’s a lot more room for filling which tastes way better than mushroom gills!
Don’t soak the mushrooms in water. Mushrooms are like sponges and will absorb lots of water. Use a soft brush or damp paper towel to clean off the remnants of dirt. If you want, give the mushrooms a speedy rinse in a colander. Once mushrooms are cleaned, it’s best to use them immediately.
Use fresh mushrooms. If you’re unsure whether your mushrooms have gone bad, look at the outside. If there are lots of dark spots and the surface is sticky or slimy, chances are your mushrooms are too far gone. Throw them in your compost pile.
Ways to change it
- Change up the cheese. Instead of mozzarella and Parmesan, try Swiss or Gruyere.
- Make it into an appetizer. Instead of large portobello mushrooms, fill white button mushrooms (stems removed). Bake as directed.
- Grill the mushrooms. Put mushrooms on a preheated grill (medium heat), cover and cook until cheese is melted and mushrooms are cooked, about 10 minutes. The panko topping won’t get as crispy but if you want, you can put them under the broiler for a few minutes. (Or try our grilled portobello mushrooms with spinach and cheese.)
- Looking for sautéed mushrooms instead? Try the best sautéed mushrooms (we have a straightforward trick!), air fryer mushrooms, or sautéed mushrooms with wine and garlic. Roasted mushrooms are rich and straightforward, too.
Make-Ahead Ideas
To get a head start on this meal, mix up the filling and prepare the breadcrumb topping the night before. Refrigerate both until you’re ready to stuff the mushrooms. You’ll need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
Keeping leftovers
Lucky you, leftover mushrooms! Refrigerate up to three days, tightly wrapped. To reheat, put the mushrooms on a baking sheet and into a preheated oven (400°F) for ten minutes or until heated through.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #7 or Meal Plan #73. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let us do the planning for you this week!
Browse Meal PlansIf you love these “fun guys” as much as we do, be sure to try these rich recipes which feature mushrooms in a starring role!
- Yield: 4
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Cook: 15 minutes
- Total: 35 minutes
Ingredients
For Mushrooms:
- 4 large portobello mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
For Filling:
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- ½ cup roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes (see note)
- ¼ cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
For Bread crumb topping:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Clean mushrooms, using a soft brush or damp paper towels. Using a spoon, scrape out the black gills from the bottom side of the mushrooms; twist out and remove the stems. Discard the stems and gills.
- Brush the top side of the mushroom caps lightly with olive oil. Place mushrooms on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, gill side up; sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Fill mushroom caps with cheese mixture.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic, stirring constantly for one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in panko, parsley, oregano, and salt until combined.
- Spread panko mixture evenly over cheese filling.
- Bake mushrooms in the preheated oven until tender and cheese is melted, about 15 to 17 minutes.
Notes
Sun-dried tomatoes: we usually buy the dry-packed tomatoes but if you buy a jar of oil-packed, remove them from the oil and pat the tomatoes with paper towels to remove the excess oil.
Make-ahead: Mix up the filling and prepare the breadcrumb topping the night before. Refrigerate both until you’re ready to stuff the mushrooms. Plan to add a few minutes to the baking time.
Storage & reheating: Refrigerate leftovers up to three days, tightly wrapped. To reheat, put the mushrooms on a baking sheet and into a preheated oven (400°F) for ten minutes or until heated through.
As an appetizer: Stuff white button mushrooms with prepared filling; top with panko and bake as directed.
