Spinach stuffed mushrooms are the perfect appetizer for hungry guests while dinner is on the way and holiday parties. Packed with spinach, Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, these mushrooms deliver a rich, savory flavor in every bite. Prep them ahead and bake them when it’s time to serve. These stuffed mushrooms are a crowd pleaser.
Ideal as a starter for holiday meals or a great option as a game-day appetizer, spinach stuffed mushrooms are delicious. Savory, cheesy, warm, and satisfying. Just enough to take the edge off but not fill you up before dinner. Never made them? See my step-by-step instructions for the best stuffed mushrooms. They're a good thing to add to your appetizers recipe file.
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Make them for holidays and game-days, they're versatile.
- Satisfying flavors, a hearty appetizer.
- Make them ahead, bake to serve.
- Great to take to a holiday pot-luck!
If you love mushrooms and pasta, try this mushroom pasta sauce. It's rich and hearty!
Recipe Ingredients
- Mushrooms: Buy white mushrooms 2″ across. You need large mushrooms as they shrink during baking. Hand pick them for a uniform size. Skip the shrink wrapped packages if possible as mushrooms may be different sizes. Brown mushrooms, also called cremini or baby bella mushrooms are good too.
- Spinach: Frozen chopped spinach leaves.
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil for best flavor or avocado oil.
- Shallot: The more delicate member of the onion family with a nice mild flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves for best flavor, or garlic powder if not fresh is available.
- Sundried tomatoes: Buy them packed in olive oil.
- White wine: Amplifies flavors and is mostly cooked off, optional.
- Fresh herbs: Italian parsley.
- Dried herbs: Italian seasoning, dried oregano, or dried thyme.
- Cheese: Savory, salty, grated Parmesan cheese. Get the good stuff.
- Spice: For a little kick, add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. Optional.
Please see the recipe card for measurements, salt and black pepper.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you can't get shallots, use finely chopped onion.
- If there's no fresh oregano, use dried oregano, fresh marjoram, or an Italian blend.
- For vegan diners or those who eat dairy-free, use a vegan parmesan.
- Swap parmesan for Asiago, Grana Padano, or Pecorino Romano cheese. or combine them for more flavor.
- Add a link or two of finely ground chicken sausage. I use Applegate Sweet Italian links. Pulse it fine in a food processor and add to the cooked filling as it's pre-cooked. You might need a few extra mushrooms.
- Swap dry sherry for the white wine.
This one pan Italian chicken thighs recipe has lots of mushrooms in the sauce.
Chef's tip for buying mushrooms: Buy mushrooms with closed stems, where the gills are not exposed. That is the sign of a fresh mushroom. Also, choose mushrooms with no brown spots, that are firm, white and not shriveled.
For another mushroom appetizer, try this classic French mushroom duxelles recipe served with crostini.
Recipe Instructions
Ready a lined baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (if broiling, use foil).
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Serving and Storage
Serve spinach stuffed mushrooms hot or at room temperature with a little extra sprinkle of parmesan if desired. If making a few hours ahead, cover and refrigerate until guests arrive, then bake and serve in a preheated oven. Serve stuffed mushrooms alone or as part of a larger appetizer spread. If you have extra filling, it's great folded into an omelet!
For leftover stuffed mushrooms, keep in an airtight container and enjoy within a day. Reheat in the microwave or oven. They last longer than that but will get soft.
Chef's tip for filling stuffed mushrooms: For evenly mounded and portioned stuffed mushrooms, I use a tool called a disher in the #2050 size, also called a cookie scoop. You can also use a tablespoon. I have dishers in many sizes. They come in handy for portioning out all kinds of ingredients.
Recipe FAQs
Instead of Parmesan use Spanish Manchego, or other Italian cheese such as Pecorino Romano, Asiago, or Grana Padano.
Don't get them too wet while cleaning. Wipe with a damp paper towel or rinse quickly under a slow trickle of cold water while rubbing 2-3 mushrooms in your hands, then dry. Additionally, you want moist filling that will hold together but not wet.
Don't overload the stuffing and pile it too high. A good tool to help evenly portion and fill stuffed mushrooms is a very small cookie scoop, also called a disher. Be sure too that your stuffing is moist enough to hold together and pinch it together with your fingers into a little mound so it holds.
Yes, I find that finely chopped cooked sausage is a great addition. I use cooked sausage links and finely grind it in my food processor. Crisply cooked and crumbled bacon is good too.
More Appetizer Recipes
If you love mushrooms, try some of these delicious recipes with mushrooms. And for another stuffed mushroom recipe, try these stuffed portobello mushrooms.
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Originally published 11-5-2013, now updated.
📖 Recipe
Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
Equipment
- Baking parchment optional
Ingredients
- 8 ounces frozen chopped spinach
- 14 large white mushrooms 2″ across
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or salted, or use olive oil.
- ½ cup finely chopped shallot 1 large
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped sub ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine or dry sherry, optional
- ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained well and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning blend
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan divided use
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Instructions
Prep spinach
- Cook spinach according to package directions in the microwave. Drain water then place in layers of paper towels and squeeze dry over the sink. Finely chop the spinach.
Clean mushrooms
- Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Alternatively, under a trickle of cold running water, cup 2 mushrooms at a time in your hands. Quickly run them under the water, gently rubbing the mushrooms to remove any debris. Dry with paper towels. Pop out the stems by gently pushing them from side to side, leaving a hollow center. Roughly chop stems or briefly pulse in a food processor.
Broil mushrooms
- Pre-heat broiler. Set rack one level down from the top. Place mushrooms hollow side up on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle mushrooms with 2 teaspoons of oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Broil mushrooms 5-7 minutes until they are browned and have given off their liquid. When done, drain and place on a clean rimmed baking sheet or in a broiler-safe casserole dish. Discard the juices.Note: You can also make the filling ahead of time, then stuff mushrooms without broiling first and baking them a little longer until browned and hot all the way through.
Cook the filling
- In a medium saute or fry pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushroom stems and cook until moisture evaporates and they are browned, 1-2 minutes. Add shallot and cooking and stirring until softened about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add wine if using and cook until almost gone. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and Italian seasoning, plus salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes to blend flavors. Remove the filling to a bowl and stir in ½ cup of the parmesan cheese.
Stuff the mushrooms
- Taste filing and add any additional salt and pepper. With a tablespoon or #50 disher (scooper), fill the center of the mushrooms, mounding filling and pinching with your fingers to hold together.
Bake or broil to finish
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Place filled mushrooms on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow casserole dish. Sprinkle with the last 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Bake until heated hot, 10-15 minutes. Alternatively broil the mushroom until browned and hot.
Hari Chandana says
Looks too good!
Mary@SiftingFocus says
I LOVE stuffed mushrooms Sally. They are a much under-utilized appetizer if you ask me. I have bookmarked this recipe for the upcoming holidays. It's always nice to introduce company to a new appetizer.
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
I did not know the scoops were called dishers. I thought they were called ice cream scoops. 🙂 After you mentioned the quarter sheet pan I bought one and I love it. It fits my needs. Although I know mushrooms shrink I bought the smaller - that was so wrong. I love your tips.