These Creamy Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms Have Pleasant “‘Marry Me’ Vibes”

I used to be vegetarian for nearly a decade. What I keep in mind most from that point—moreover folks continuously asking if there was sufficient protein in my eating regimen—is the sheer quantity of mushrooms I ate. (Which was nice, since mushrooms are extraordinarily scrumptious!) At eating places, vegetarian choices nearly all the time included a risotto or creamy pasta with mushrooms. At dinner events, pals whipped up meat-free variations of beouf Bourguignon full of creminis, shiitakes, and oyster mushrooms for me. And at cook-outs, I grilled hefty portobello mushrooms to sandwich between burger buns with lettuce and tomatoes.

Although I’m not vegetarian, I nonetheless ceaselessly fold mushrooms into soups, stews, and salads for his or her savory depth of taste. They’re additionally the star of certainly one of my favourite appetizers: stuffed mushrooms. At their greatest, stuffed mushrooms pack plenty of taste right into a small package deal, hitting savory, candy, and particularly umami notes . They mix textures—a creamy filling, crispy topping, and a young, by no means soggy, and completely browned exterior—and are sufficiently small to eat in a single chew, making them the best occasion food. At their worst, they’re soggy, bland, and rubbery, and possibly the very last thing you need to eat. Fortunately for us (and also you!), our Birmingham, Alabama-based take a look at kitchen colleague Renu Dhar has a stellar recipe for vegetarian stuffed mushrooms. 

Renu’s stuffed mushrooms tick all of the bins: They’ve cream cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano for richness, chopped mushroom stems for a meaty chew, and sun-dried tomatoes that carry a contact of sweetness. Panko breadcrumbs present a satisfying crunch, and a intelligent technique prevents the mushrooms from getting soggy. As a substitute of getting you bake your mushrooms on a sheet pan or in a baking dish, she has you utilize a forged iron skillet, which retains warmth nicely and successfully browns the underside of the mushrooms. “Between the excessive warmth [of the oven] and the warmth from the forged iron, the mushrooms get cooked actually quick,” says Renu, “which ensures they don’t flip soggy.”

The outcome? Scrumptious, savory stuffed mushrooms that two testers individually described as having “marry me” vibes. You actually don’t need to be a vegetarian to take pleasure in these, nor do it’s essential have an important day to make them. With simply 20 minutes of prep time and one other 25 minutes within the oven, you could possibly have a spectacular mushroom feast for you and your loved ones in lower than an hour, which is a celebration in itself.