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These Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms are made with bite-size mushroom caps filled with yummy Italian sausage, garlic, cheese, and a crispy, golden breadcrumb topping. They’re flavorful and easy to make—the perfect party snack or appetizer.
Stuffed Mushrooms with Sausage
Stuffed mushrooms are a popular bite-size appetizer. They ooze fanciness but can easily be dressed up or down, depending on the event or gathering. Most importantly, they’re delicious! These sausage-stuffed mushrooms are the perfect year-round, all-occasion stuffed mushroom recipe. Made with a crunchy breadcrumb topping and stuffed with a simple, flavorful mixture of Italian sausage, onions, and shredded mozzarella cheese, they’re a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Feel free to use this recipe exactly as written or use it as a starting point to make it your own. You may also like these Crab Stuffed Mushrooms.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Mushrooms: This recipe uses cremini mushrooms (aka baby portobello mushrooms, baby Bellas, or brown mushrooms), but white mushrooms (aka button mushrooms) can also be used.
- Ground Sausage: Feel free to use any version (mild or spicy) of ground chicken or pork Italian sausage.
- Butter: Used to sauté the onions and garlic.
- Onion and Garlic: For flavor.
- Seasoning: We’re seasoning the sausage mixture with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. For a bit of heat, you may add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Cheese: This recipe uses freshly shredded mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella has a mild flavor and melts beautifully. Feel free to use more than one cheese or substitute mozzarella with Monterey or Pepper Jack cheese, Cheddar cheese, or even cream cheese for extra creamy sausage centers.
- Breadcrumbs: This recipe uses regular breadcrumbs, but panko breadcrumbs are a great alternative. The breadcrumbs provide structure and help bind the stuffing.
How to Clean Mushrooms
Before removing the stems, clean the mushrooms by gently wiping the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel to remove the dirt. Avoid soaking the mushrooms or getting the gills wet, as they absorb water quickly, affecting their texture and flavor when cooked.
How to Make Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (175°C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Clean the mushrooms: Before removing the stems, clean the mushrooms by gently wiping the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel to remove the dirt.
3. Remove the stems: Once all the mushrooms have been cleaned, carefully remove the stems and gently scrape out as much of the gills as possible. Finely dice the stems into small pieces and set aside. Discard the gills.
4. Brown the sausage: Cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease from the pan, transfer the sausage to a clean plate, and set aside.
5. Sauté the vegetables: Melt the butter in the same skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the diced mushroom stems, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook until reduced and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the sausage and cheese: Return the cooked sausage to the skillet. Mix well to combine with the veggies, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted.
7. Prepare the breadcrumb topping: Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a small bowl, then stir in the breadcrumbs. Set aside.
8. Stuff the mushroom caps: Use a 1/2 tablespoon scoop or 1 tablespoon scoop to fill the mushroom caps with the sausage mixture until slightly heaping. Transfer the stuffed mushrooms to the prepared baking sheet, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.
9. Bake: Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
How to Tell When Your Stuffed Mushrooms Are Finished Cooking?
Several signs indicate that your sausage-stuffed mushrooms are finished cooking, including tender mushroom caps and wrinkled skin, golden-brown breadcrumb topping, and juices starting to seep from the mushrooms onto the baking sheet.
10. Serve: Remove from the oven and allow the mushrooms to rest for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly minced parsley, if desired.
Variations
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of cream cheese to the sausage filling for a creamier bite.
- Include multiple types of cheeses. I always include good melting cheese like mozzarella, cheddar, Gruyere, or Monterey Jack. For extra flavor, parmesan cheese is a great addition.
- Add your favorite fresh herbs like rosemary, oregano, basil, and parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe uses cremini mushrooms (aka baby portobello mushrooms, baby Bellas, or brown mushrooms), but white mushrooms (aka button mushrooms) can also be used. In general, cremini mushrooms are more flavorful than white mushrooms.
Stuffed mushrooms may become soggy if the filling is too moist, the mushrooms become wet during cleaning, they’re cooked too closely together, or they’re overcooked. Refer to my tips above on how to clean mushrooms properly and how to know when your stuffed mushrooms are finished cooking.
Of course!
This will depend on how many other appetizer and snack options are available, but a reasonable estimate is 2-3 stuffed mushrooms per adult.
What to Serve with Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
If you’re hosting, serve these easy stuffed mushrooms with 1-2 additional appetizers. This gives guests variety, making the whole experience more enjoyable. Crowd favorites include this classic cheese ball, juicy Greek meatballs, bacon-wrapped shrimp, or bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers. If you’re making these stuffed mushrooms for the holidays, consider serving them with cranberry meatballs, honey and goat cheese crostini, and mulled wine.
Make-Ahead Tips and Leftovers
There are several ways to get a head start making these sausage-stuffed mushrooms.
- Prepare the sausage filling as directed in the recipe. Store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before filling and baking.
- Assemble ahead. Prepare the stuffed mushrooms, but stop before baking. Transfer the stuffed mushrooms to a baking sheet arranged in a single layer and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Leftovers: Allow the stuffed mushrooms to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container arranged in a single layer. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Reheating leftovers: Reheat in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Heat for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby portabella mushrooms
- 8 ounces Italian sausage, pork or chicken, mild or spicy
- 4 tablespoon butter, divided
- ½ yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Clean the mushrooms: Before removing the stems, clean the mushrooms by gently wiping the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel to remove the dirt.
- Remove the stems: Once all the mushrooms have been cleaned, carefully remove the stems and gently scrape out as much of the gills as possible. Finely dice the stems into small pieces and set aside. Discard the gills.
- Brown the sausage: Cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease from the pan, transfer the sausage to a clean plate, and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: Melt the butter in the same skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the diced mushroom stems, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook until reduced and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes (Tip: Allow any excess moisture to steam off).
- Add the sausage and cheese: Return the cooked sausage to the skillet. Mix well to combine with the veggies, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted.
- Prepare the breadcrumb topping: Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a small bowl, then stir in the breadcrumbs until combined. Set aside.
- Stuff the mushroom caps: Use a 1/2 tablespoon or 1 tablespoon scoop to fill the mushroom caps with the sausage mixture until slightly heaping. Transfer the stuffed mushrooms to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.
- Bake: Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Serve: Remove the mushrooms from the oven and allow them to rest for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly minced parsley, if desired.
Notes
- This recipe makes between 20-25 sausage stuffed mushrooms.
- Allow the stuffed mushrooms to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container arranged in a single layer. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Stuffed mushrooms become soggy if they’re submerged in water, overcooked, the filling is too moist, or they’re cooked too closely together.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
