My grandma made the best stuffed mushroom appetizers, but I wanted to turn them into a full meal that my family and I could have when it wasn't a party or a holiday. I turned her baby stuffed mushrooms into these Baked Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, and they're perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, plus they're insanely delicious. They are filled with sweet Italian sausage stuffing, Parmigiano Reggiano, and topped with melted mozzarella and balsamic glaze!
Looking for some more delicious Italian appetizers? Try our Pepperoni Bread (Stromboli), Air Fryer Garlic Parm Wings, or Easy Steamed Artichokes!
A Quick Look at The Recipe
- ✅Recipe Name: Baked Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- ⏲️Ready in: 45 minutes
- 👪Makes: 4 servings
- 📋Main ingredients: portobello mushrooms, sweet Italian sausage, and melted mozzarella.
- ⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: This recipe turns a classic appetizer into a delicious and simple weeknight dinner! Think about mini Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, but BIG!
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Why this Recipe
Growing up, Stuffed Mushrooms were a mainstay at family parties for us. My grandma would always make 2-3 batches of stuffed baby bella mushrooms and her Homemade Shrimp Cocktail, along with my Dad's Italian Sausage Bread. The stuffed mushrooms would be consumed almost as quickly as they were coming out of the oven.
Now that our family has moved all over the place, we rarely have these big parties anymore, and even when we do, we can only make 1 or 2 appetizers because it's usually just a few of us. I missed my grandma's stuffed mushroom recipe so much that I figured the best thing to do would be to turn it into dinner!
I switched out the baby mushrooms for portobello mushrooms. Now I make these Baked Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms for dinner for my family! My kids love the stuffing, and my wife and I love baked mushrooms!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Sausage- The best sausage for this recipe is Sweet Italian Sausage. But this is all up to your taste. The glaze and roasted red peppers go best with a sweet variety. You could use our sweet Italian sausage recipe or our Chevalatta Sausage Recipe. Just skip the stuffing of the sausage into the casings step.
- Portobello Mushrooms- Portobello mushrooms vary in size. Try to get similar-sized mushrooms so they all cook at the same rate. I like to take a wet paper towel and wipe them down instead of rinsing them. Too much water can get caught up inside them if you rinse them.
- Breadcrumbs- I use Homemade Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs when I have them; if not, I use a fine breadcrumb from the grocery.
- Mozzarella- Always use a whole-fat mozzarella for melting in recipes like these. Low-moisture or part-skim mozzarella will dry out.
- Balsamic Glaze- The balsamic glaze is easy to make, but it's much easier to buy. I like to pick a high-quality glaze that I love the flavor of. My favorite right now is Aceto di Ferrari.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on ingredients.
Stuffing Variations
- Try spinach, feta, and olives in a roasted mushroom similar to our Grilled Stuffed Pork Chops.
- An all-time favorite is chopped Broccoli Rabe (Sauteed Rapini), roasted garlic, and mozzarella.
- Try a ground beef stuffing like in Italian Stuffed Peppers in Tomato Sauce.
- Stuff with Ricotta Filling and top with mozzarella cheese and Marinara Sauce for a creamy and delicious mushroom!
How to Make Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
I love to make these for a quick weeknight meal because they're really flavorful and reheat really well for lunch the next day. Stuffed Portobello mushrooms are filling and easy for me to make quickly while the kids are running around.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425℉. Heat 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add ground Italian sausage to the pan. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes to develop a crust. Then stir the sausage and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until mostly browned.
Step 2: Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock and breadcrumbs in 3 equal additions, stirring after each addition until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Once all combined, transfer the sausage mixture to a bowl.
Step 3: Combine the sausage with fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Step 4: Prepare the mushrooms by removing the stems and scraping out the gills with the back of a spoon. (See video in recipe card to watch how I clean mushrooms)
Step 5: Divide the stuffing into 4 equal parts and stuff the mushrooms. Top with the mozzarella cheese.
Step 6: Bake stuffed portobello mushrooms for 10-12 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted and golden brown.
Step 7: Remove the portobello mushrooms from the oven and top with sliced roasted red peppers. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with basil.
I serve these on their own or along with a simple salad like Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad or a simple romaine salad with Traditional Caesar Dressing!
Pro-Tips
- Make your own Balsamic glaze: Just simmer some balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together until it thickens and reduces by half. Honestly, I hate doing this because you have to stand over the pan and continue stirring the whole time, or else it burns and sticks to the pan. It's an annoying cleanup for something that usually tastes better when you buy it at the store.
- Chop up the mushroom stems and add them to the ground sausage while cooking if you want to avoid waste.
- Clean mushroom gills delicately, or you will crack the mushroom or break the edges. The edges need to stay intact so the stuffing remains in the mushroom.
- When adding breadcrumbs, add them slowly, along with a little chicken stock at a time. If you add it all at once, it clumps up and doesn't combine with the sausage to make a true "stuffing".
Recipe FAQs
No. You don't HAVE to, but you should. They contain a lot of extra and unnecessary water that will make the mushrooms soggy.
Store them on a plate tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat by cutting and microwaving or preheat the oven to 350℉, wrap them in aluminum foil, and bake for 10-15 minutes until heated through.
You can do this with baby bella mushrooms or white mushrooms. You'll need about 20 baby bella mushrooms for each pound of sausage.
What to Serve with Baked Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Veggie Sides: Baked Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are a whole meal, so I serve them with another vegetable, like Braised Tuscan Kale, Garlic Parmesan Green Beans, or Sauteed Italian Cabbage.
- Pasta: Serve one of these pasta dishes before the stuffed mushrooms, like Spaghetti Carbonara, Bucatini Amatriciana, or Pasta alla Norma (A Sicilian Dish).
- Salad: Serve with a simple side salad, like Italian Green Bean Salad, Garbanzo Bean Kale Salad, or a Chickpea Cucumber Feta Salad
More Amazing Mushroom Recipes
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Baked Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 baking tray
- 1 parchment paper
Ingredients
- 4 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage, ground
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¾ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 roasted red pepper, sliced thin
- ¼ cup basil, julienned
- 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Heat 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add ground Italian sausage to the pan. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes to develop a crust. Then stir the sausage and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until mostly browned.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock and breadcrumbs in 3 equal additions, stirring after each addition until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Once all combined, transfer the sausage mixture to a bowl.
- Combine the sausage with fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Prepare the mushrooms by removing the stems and scraping out the gills with the back of a spoon.
- Divide the stuffing into 4 equal parts and stuff the mushrooms. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted.
- Remove the portobello mushrooms from the oven and top with sliced roasted red peppers. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with basil.
Video
Notes
- Make your own Balsamic glaze: Just simmer some balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together until it thickens and reduces by half. Honestly, I hate doing this because you have to stand over the pan and continue stirring the whole time, or else it burns and sticks to the pan. It's an annoying cleanup for something that usually tastes better when you buy it at the store.
- Chop up the mushroom stems and add them to the ground sausage while cooking if you want to avoid waste.
- Clean mushroom gills delicately, or you will crack the mushroom or break the edges. The edges need to stay intact so the stuffing remains in the mushroom.
- When adding breadcrumbs, add them slowly, along with a little chicken stock at a time. If you add it all at once, it clumps up and doesn't combine with the sausage to make a true "stuffing".
Bernice says
The mushrooms were very dry. They should have been rubbed with olive oil before they were stuffed.
Vinny says
I'm sorry that happened. I've always found that the oil from the sausage provided enough oil. Plus mushrooms are filled with water, so usually I don't usually use too much oil to cook them.
Vinny says
A delicious appetizer perfect for the summer. It's filling and easy to make! Enjoy!