Holiday Party Food: Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms with Crispy Herbed Breadcrumbs

Stuffed mushrooms might be old-school, but we can guarantee they will be the hit of your next party—perfect for the pickiest eaters!

When I was a kid, my mom would always serve stuffed mushrooms whenever she and my dad threw a party (that and peach daiquiris!). Usually they were stuffed with a simple mixture of sausage and cream cheese, and not really anything else. But they were so delicious. The trick was to time it just right so you could eat them—whole, in one massive bite—while they were still hot (they were very hard to resist) but not so hot that they burned your mouth. I pretty much burned my mouth every single time.

I don’t know that we ever wrote that recipe down, but I’ve re-created it over the years. This is a slightly fancypants version of that 1970s classic cocktail party recipe, and sure to be a real crowd-pleaser.

I’ve added spinach to this updated version, and kept it vegetarian, but you can omit the spinach and mix in 8oz or so of bulk pork sausage (I think we always used sweet Italian sausage or something similar) before stuffing. Make extra sure if you use the sausage to cook the stuffing all the way through! If you want to keep these gluten-free, just omit the breadcrumbs.

And do let them cool slightly before you burn your tongue.

Recipe: Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms with Crispy Herbed Breadcrumbs

Makes about 24 stuffed mushrooms

Ingredients:
• 1 1/4 lb cremini or button mushrooms (medium or large; about 24)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, minced
• Kosher salt
• 3 oz fresh baby spinach
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

Instructions:
1. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet lightly with cooking spray. Carefully remove the stems from the cap. Put the caps on the baking sheet in an even layer.





2. In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and a little sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes, then transfer to the mixing bowl. Add the spinach. Cook just until wilted, then transfer to a colander. Squeeze out the liquid, transfer to a chopping board, then chop finely. Add to the bowl with the shallot mixture. Let cool slightly.









3. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
4. Add the cream cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan to the bowl with the shallot mixture. Stir well to combine.





5. Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps, mounding the filling slightly.



6. Melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter. In a bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, the panko, herb seasoning, and the melted butter. Top the stuffed mushrooms with the panko mixture, pressing it into the filling lightly. (I just turn the filled caps upside down into the panko mixture and it will stick easily to the filling.)





7. Bake until the topping is golden and the mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve right away.