Simple Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

If you are looking for a vegetable-based appetizer that won't leave you feeling guilty, then these simple stuffed mushrooms may be the perfect choice. This excellent starter takes a short time to make, and it's loaded with healthy ingredients like mushrooms, spinach, and artichokes. Add some parmesan cheese, mayonnaise (fine, it's not entirely healthy, but that's okay!), and a few spices, and you've got a stuffing that is out of this world. 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn of YouCare-SelfCare is known for coming up with delicious healthy recipes, and this one is no exception. "These are a showstopper appetizer ... they are so delicious and so much easier than they appear," she raves. "Everyone loves these!" 

As for her inspiration? "I came up with these originally for a holiday cooking class I was doing that was focused on holiday appetizers," Hahn explains. She says she wanted to make "this recipe that is on the healthier side but still tastes amazing." We love that!

For this dish, you'll need crimini mushrooms (white button mushrooms would also work), onion, garlic, canned artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, milk, mayonnaise (Hahn used a vegan variety), lemon, Parmesan cheese, salt, smoked paprika, pepper, and (optionally) Italian parsley. Once you have all those items, you're ready to make these simple stuffed mushrooms.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In the meantime, set a pan over medium heat and add a bit of water — this is what you'll cook the chopped onion and garlic in. Cook them for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Using a damp paper towel, wipe each mushroom to gently clean it. Next, remove the stems from the mushroom caps; you can use your hands (just be careful not to tear the mushroom cap), then get any bit of the stem left behind with a paring knife. Then use a spoon to remove and discard the gills underneath each mushroom cap. "Avoid using really tiny mushrooms, as it just takes longer," Hahn advises. "If you are serving these at a party with finger food, then you will want to use a size that you can pop in your mouth. But, if silverware is involved, then you can go for the bigger ones." Place the mushroom caps in a 9x12-inch baking dish. 

And those stems you removed? Those are going into the filling, so go ahead and dice them into small pieces.

It's time to make the filling that'll go into the mushroom caps. Add the diced mushroom stems, artichoke hearts, and spinach to the frying pan with the garlic and onion. Cook for about 8 minutes, and like you did with the onion and garlic, be sure to stir frequently. By now, your kitchen should smell pretty good. 

Once the 8 minutes are up, add the milk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cheese, salt, smoked paprika, and pepper to the mix. On a vegan or dairy-free diet? You can easily make this recipe with a vegan mayo, soy or almond milk, and dairy-free Parmesan. "There really is no taste difference," according to Hahn.

Stir everything together and turn the heat to low. Continue cooking for about 5 more minutes. "The filling tastes like spinach-artichoke dip," says Hahn. Don't nibble on too much before filling those mushrooms!

Scoop the mixture into each mushroom cap and pop the tray into the preheated oven. Cook for 20 minutes. When you remove the mushrooms from the oven, top with parsley if you'd like. 

"These are great for a party, the holidays, a brunch, or even just a fun weeknight dinner," Hahn says. "We recently had them with homemade pizza, and it was a nice pairing. When you are using larger mushrooms, they are very hearty."

Hahn also notes that you can assemble these ahead of time and bake them right before serving. Leftovers should last for 5 days, according to Hahn. But good luck not devouring them all by then.