Cheddar & Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms.

Years ago, Joey found a recipe for stuffed mushrooms that was similar to this one. Since then, we’ve tweaked and improved on it every time we make them for Christmas, Thanksgiving or any number of special occasions. We’ve been making them using the same recipe for a few years now. And also since then, we can never make enough.

They are pretty simple to make. And they will make your house smell incredible too! You probably have most of the ingredients just sitting around in your kitchen. Trust me, people will DEVOUR these. They will think you are incredible in the kitchen. And they will request these anytime you need to bring an appetizer to any gathering. They might even throw parties just so that they can eat these again.

The key to the success of these cheddar stuffed mushrooms, versus any other that I have made in the past, seems to rest in the way that the cheese is prepared. This is the only recipe I have ever put cheese in a food processor for, but it really does make a difference with cheese distribution throughout the stuffing mixture. (I just worked “cheese distribution” into a sentence, did you see that?!) Neither grated, nor chopped, nor shredded will do this dish justice. Just trust me.

I’m always reminded of making meatballs with my mother as a child when I bake these. She would tell me how my Italian great-grandmother would say to her “You will know there is enough cheese when you can smell it in the mixture!” That is certainly true for meatballs. And I think it may apply to stuffed mushrooms as well.

Look at how simple this is! The best part is, the stems from the mushrooms aren’t wasted, they are used as part of the stuffing mixture. I love that about this recipe. You use every usable part of every ingredient.

I like to leave them in the oven for at least an hour at 350°F. That way they get crispy. Soggy stuffing in the middle of a mushroom? Don’t do that.

To make these, you’ll need:

• 2 pounds mushrooms
• 1-2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
  
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces  of a solid block)
  
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat over to 350°F.

Brush mushrooms clean and remove the stems. Put the stems in a food processor to finely chop them (a knife will do too!). Place the mushroom caps onto a glass baking dish or a foil lined baking pan with what used to be the stem side facing up.

Chop walnuts and lightly toast them in a pan with butter and set aside.

Chop parsley. Chop Onion. (Again, chopping with a food processor works best for this recipe, but if you feel like chopping with a knife, kick it old school.) Add the stems and the onion into a large skillet with the remaining butter and cook over medium heat until softened. Turn off the heat and and add in remaining ingredients.

Divide mixture up among mushroom caps, packing them gently and leaving a rounded mound on top.

Bake mushrooms on the middle rack of your oven for at least 40 minutes. Again, this recipe works best when the mushrooms are given the chance to become a little crispy on top, so I like to let them cook for at least an hour, checking on them every so often to be sure they aren’t burning.

These mushrooms are best served warm, but are also equally as delicious when they’ve cooled.

Tags: cheddar, cheddar stuffed mushrooms, easy, holiday, mushrooms, recipe, stuffed, thanksgiving