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–+ servings

Stuffed Mushrooms

Appetizers & Snacks
Large flat-cap mushrooms stuffed with a rich duxelles filling, their own stems finely chopped and cooked down with shallots, garlic, and thyme until deeply concentrated, then bound with crème fraîche and topped with melted, bubbling Gruyère. These French stuffed mushrooms are the kind of starter that looks like proper effort but comes together in under an hour.
Stuffed Mushrooms recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 As a starter

Ingredients 

For the mushrooms
  • 8 mushrooms portobello or flat-cap, about 8–10cm diameter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and black pepper
For the filling

Equipment

Instructions

  1. 1. Prepare the mushrooms
    Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and set them aside, you'll need them for the filling. Brush the caps all over with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place them gill-side up in a baking dish. Don't skip the oil on the outside; it helps them colour properly rather than steam.
  2. 2. Make the duxelles
    Finely chop the mushroom stems. The finer the better, you want a rough paste, not chunky bits. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add the shallots. Cook for 3–4 minutes until softened and just starting to go golden.
    Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the chopped mushroom stems. This is where patience comes in. Keep the heat fairly high and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until almost all the moisture has cooked off. The duxelles should look quite dry and concentrated. If it steams rather than fries, the heat's too low.
  3. 3. Finish the filling
    Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the parsley, thyme, crème fraîche, breadcrumbs, half the Gruyère, a pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Mix well. The filling should hold its shape when pressed together. If it seems too wet, add a few more breadcrumbs.
  4. 4. Stuff and bake
    Divide the filling between the mushroom caps, pressing it in firmly and mounding it slightly. Don't be shy, pack it in. Scatter the remaining Gruyère over the top of each one. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the mushrooms are tender, the filling is hot through, and the cheese on top is golden and bubbling.
  5. 5. Serve
    Let them rest for 2–3 minutes before serving, the filling will be volcanic straight from the oven. Serve on a small bed of dressed salad leaves, or just on their own with good bread to mop up the juices that collect in the baking dish.

Notes

  • Mushroom size matters. Too small and you've got nowhere to put the filling. Portobello or large flat-cap mushrooms around 8-10cm are what you want.
  • The duxelles is the key step. Don't rush it. If you leave moisture in the filling, it'll make the stuffed mushrooms soggy. Cook until the mixture looks almost dry in the pan.
  • Gruyère is traditional, but Comté is excellent here too. Both have that nutty, savoury depth that works brilliantly with mushrooms. Emmental at a push.
  • Make ahead: prepare the filling up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate it. Stuff the mushrooms just before baking, adding an extra 5 minutes to the oven time if they're going in cold.
  • Works as a main too. Three per person alongside a green salad and some crusty bread is a perfectly decent weeknight supper.