Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

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.

1. Remove mushroom stems. Chop the stems and set them aside.
2. Cook sausage. Crumble it as it cooks, then remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.
3. Cook onion and garlic. Cook them in the sausage grease if possible.
4. Deglaze with wine. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
5. Cook mushroom stems. Set aside to cool.
6. Make filling. Combine cream cheese, egg yolk, cheese, sausage, onion mixture.
7. Chill filling. This helps the filling set up a bit so it doesn’t get too runny in the oven.
8. Assemble. Use a small spoon to fill mushroom caps, creating a small mound over each mushroom.
9. Bake. Bake mushrooms until hot and bubbly.
10. Let cool. Let the mushrooms sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, then serve.

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.

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.

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.