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side view of best sausage stuffed mushrooms on a baking sheet with cream cheese filling and panko topping
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Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Creamy Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms with sun-dried tomatoes and basil are cheesy flavor explosion on the inside and buttery, crunchy panko delight on the outside!  They are show-stopping, make ahead appetizer perfect for all your holiday parties!
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 24 -28 mushrooms

Ingredients

Filling

  • 24-28 white button mushrooms (approx. 2 1/2-inch-diameter) rinsed and dried
  • 1/3 lb. Hot Italian sausage casings removed
  • 1/2 cup packed sun-dried tomatoes rinsed, drained and dried
  • 1/4 yellow onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 tsp EACH dried oregano, paprika, salt, pepper
  • 4-6 garlic cloves minced
  • 8 oz. Cream Cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Topping/Coating

  • 4 tablespoons melted butter divided
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup Italian style panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Twist off mushroom stems and add the stems to a food processor along with sun-dried tomatoes. Pulse until finely chopped (alternatively you can chop by hand). Set aside.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and onion and cook while crumbling until sausage is almost cooked through. Drain grease. Add mushroom/tomato mixture, Worcestershire, and all seasonings. Cook for 3 additional minutes or until sausage is completely cooked through. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
  • Turn heat to low and stir in cream cheese until melted followed by sour cream, mozzarella and parmesan until melted. Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil. Set aside.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Add panko and stir until evenly coated. Set aside.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a separate medium bowl and stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Dip the outside of each mushroom in the lemon butter mixture. Set mushrooms on prepared baking sheet, cavity side up.
  • Add Filling to a freezer size bag and snip off a corner. Squeeze filling into mushrooms until it is overflowing. Pat mixture down to create a rounded top then dunk the top of each mushroom into panko mixture then return mushrooms to baking sheet.
  • Bake mushrooms for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees F or until the filling is heated through and mushrooms are golden. Broil for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Notes

Tips for Stuffed Mushrooms

  • Try and find mushrooms similar in size so they cook evenly.
  • Dry the mushrooms very well so they don’t release excess moisture.
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet because the mushrooms will release juices when cooked.
  • Use jarred sun-dried tomatoes.  Rinse them very will so they don’t add excess oil to the sausage cream cheese filling.
  • If you can’t find hot Italian Sausage, then you can use mild or sweet and then season with some red pepper flakes.
  • You can substitute the hot Italian Sausage for lean ground beef, ground turkey or turkey sausage but take care to season it with some Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.
  • Full fat cream cheese will melt the best but you can use reduced fat as well.
  • Italian Style panko comes seasoned with Italian seasoning.  If you already have plain panko on hand you can use that instead and add ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning.
  • If you find you have left over filling, it is fabulous in pastas, as a spread or dip for vegetable or crackers.

To make Stuffed Mushrooms ahead of time, you can either:

  1. Make the dip up to 3 days in advance, cover and refrigerate. When ready to bake, follow remaining instructions, adding a few minutes extra baking time due to chilled filling.  OR
  1. Take care to use the freshest mushrooms.  Stuff your mushrooms per instructions, place on baking sheet, cover tightly and refrigerate but do NOT brush with butter.  When ready to bake, brush with lemon butter and bake per instructions, adding a couple extra minutes due to chilled filling.