These sausage stuffed mushrooms are always a hit for company or a family gathering. Portobello mushrooms are marinated in some olive oil and Marsala wine– then stuffed with turkey sausage, green onion, marscapone (or cream cheese) and panko crumbs. They are topped with cheese and baked until tender. Enjoy!
It’s no secret that I’m an Ina Garten (of the Barefoot Contessa) fan. This recipe is adapted from Ina’s repertoire, and it’s a good one. Of course. I made a couple of tweaks to the recipe. For starters, I made was to switch from Button Mushrooms to Portobello Mushrooms. I think they have a “nuttier” taste–
Food Network’s “Alton Brown” did an experiment, on one of his episodes, that disproved the theory that mushrooms should be wiped with a cloth. Alton weighed his mushrooms before washing them, and afterward. The increase of water was so minute, that it didn’t make a difference! Since then, I wash my mushrooms, thoroughly– which is a lot easier, I think. (I have seen what mushrooms grow in, and I want to be sure they are very clean!)
I wipe them dry with a paper towel, pull out the stems (to be chopped) and then I like to use a melon “scoop” to clean out those unsightly “gills”. The mushrooms are then placed into a baking dish, and marinated with a little olive oil and some sherry (or Marsala wine is good, too). Next…
I used turkey sausage, since it’s less fatty than regular sausage. Removing the casings, I cooked the sausage, thoroughly in a cast iron skillet. Because turkey sausage is very lean, I actually needed to add a little bit of olive oil. There! Are we ready to build flavor?
NOTE: This recipe could easily be adapted for a vegetarian by not using sausage and using more chopped mushrooms and bread crumbs.
To the sausage, green onion is added… then finely minced garlic… next, panko crumbs and it’s combined. Next…
Cheese, please! Marscapone Cheese is a good choice, but you could also use softened cream cheese. Once added, and it is blended once the heat makes it creamy. Next, some Parmesan cheese. I added some fresh cracked pepper, but not additional salt. I think the Parmesan and the sausage had enough in it– your choice. In retrospect, I wish I had added some fresh thyme and red pepper flakes.
My garden has ample fresh Italian parsley. Mince it, and then add that to the sausage filling. I grabbed a small scoop, and now…
I diverted from the recipe, because I had a bag of shredded three-cheeses. Why not?
NOTE: If you notice a toothpick…um, I kinda got aggressive cleaning out the mushrooms…and I “bwoke” one. I patched it back with a toothpick, which worked just fine.
The original recipe says to bake these for 50 minutes at 325F. Mine were ready in 25 minutes! (I think it depends on the size of the mushrooms.)
My son said that these reminded him of sausage pizza– without the crust. I thought about it, and he’s right! These were very tasty. Because the mushrooms were so large, combined with a salad, this would make a nice lunch or supper.
I had leftover sausage filling. I think these would be delicious mixed in with scrambled eggs. Or, this could also be used as a pizza topping. However, I think I’ll just make these all over again for Christmas Eve. They are very easy to make. I also think this recipe is very versatile.
TASTE NOTES: Regular Italian sausage is an ideal ingredient. Just be sure to drain the excess fat. Fresh thyme would be an excellent addition. I’m not sure if panko crumbs are vital. The moisture of the filling defeated the crunchiness of panko crumbs. I think regular bread crumbs would be fine. You can easily make the sausage a day ahead– which is exactly what I’ve done.
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 16 extra-large white mushrooms I used large Portobellos
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry
- 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage removed from the casings (I used turkey sausage)
- 6 scallions white and green parts, minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2/3 cup panko crumbs or regular bread crumbs
- 5 ounces mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
- 1/3 cup Parmesan freshly grated
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme (optional)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Add they thyme and red pepper flakes (if using). Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.
- Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake for 25 minutes (up to 50 minutes) or until the stuffing is browned and crusty.
Notes
these look wonderful, i adore stuffed mushrooms! wanted to wish you a very merry christmas and thank you for sharing at fws!
Wow – those look too good
This looks like a fabulous appetizer for parties. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
I love stuffed mushrooms and if it's an Ina Garten recipe, you know it's has to be delicious.
Happy holidays to you and your family.
"TO DIE FOR"!!!, cher!
Happy Holidays!
Deb,
I could easily eat a whole platter of these.
When I grew up, all my friend's Italian moms would make sausage and breadcrumb stuffed shrooms!
Yummy!
Merry Christmas tonight!
Stace
These look fantastic, especially with the additional cheese! And
first aid for a mushroon, That is so cute!
Enjoy and once again, Have a wonderful and happy Holiday. 🙂
great job! i used turkey sausage as well and had quite a bit of stuffing left too. I used that and a few of the stuffed mushrooms that I chopped up and warmed them all in a skillet. Cooked up some pasta and mixed it in and that was really delicious too! (though rather carb heavy and coma inducing)
These look great Deb! Merry Christmas!
What a fantastic appetizer!! I love how they both look and sound. Hope you had and continue to have wonderful holidays Debby!
Merry Christmas, Debby! How fantastic – I could have these for breakfast! Love the idea of using the small scoop to fill the mushroom caps – that would make the assembly of lots of appetizers so much easier.
Thanks for the comment! I was so excited to see another PW fan and I loved your tip that you learned from Alton. I can now release all my guilt from washing my mushrooms!!
Hi, I've been following your blog for a short time now, love your pictures! I made this recipe for New Years Eve and everyone loved them! My brother said the same thing as your son "tastes like sausage pizza"!
Mmmmm, this another post I couldn't resist. Mushrooms are a fave especially stuffed.
~ingrid
YUM! Love anything stuffed into a mushroom!