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Entertaining is effortless with this easy Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms recipe! The cream cheese and garlic filling is irresistibly tasty and bursting with fresh herbs.
For a meatless version, try my Simple Stuffed Mushrooms next.
Why you’ll love it
These simple stuffed mushrooms make such a fun party appetizer, especially during the holidays. Cremini mushrooms are the perfect vessel for the cheesy sausage filling! The savory, rich flavor of Italian sausage combined with earthy mushrooms is just so good.
I like to keep the ingredients list short in this sausage stuffed mushroom caps recipe, and each one of them shines. They’ve got plenty of parmesan cheese, which is my favorite part. No one will be able to have just one of these since they’re such a crowd pleaser!
What you’ll need
- Cream cheese – I use a block of Philadelphia
- Mushrooms – cremini stuffer mushrooms are what mine are labeled as; your grocer may call them baby bellas. Look for larger ones to comfortably fit the filling.
- Italian sausage – use either links or bulk. I chose mild.
- Butter – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – I prefer sweet (Vidalia) onions
- Parmesan – adds even more cheese flavor
- Fresh herbs – I went for thyme and parsley for a pop of freshness
- Breadcrumbs – for texture and that perfectly golden crispiness
Helpful tips
- I prefer to use the larger cremini “stuffer” mushrooms for this recipe as these mushrooms have a lot of filling. If you want these to be more like one-bite finger food, I’d use smaller mushrooms and buy more of them (like 1.5-2 pounds) so there is less stuffing in each mushroom.
- I don’t recommend washing the mushrooms because they could get soggy. Instead, wipe them with a damp paper towel if needed.
- If your mushrooms are really rounded on the bottoms and not standing up on the baking sheet, simply slice a little bit off the bottom to make a flat base.
How to make sausage stuffed mushrooms
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven, and microwave the cream cheese until very soft. In a skillet, sauté the sausage until just cooked. Transfer it to a plate. Sauté the onions in the butter until lightly browned.
Return the sausage to the pan, and stir in the garlic, cooking until fragrant. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cream cheese followed by the parmesan, herbs, and breadcrumbs.
Using your hands and a spoon, tightly pack each mushroom with the filling. Place on a baking sheet with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, until the mushrooms are cooked through and golden on top.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I find grating parmesan is easiest with a Microplane zester.
- Use a sharp chef’s knife for chopping.
- A garlic press makes mincing garlic a cinch.
Substitutions and variations
- Use hot Italian sausage, or add in a dash or two of hot sauce or some cayenne pepper if you want these to have some kick.
- If you don’t have fresh herbs, add 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
What to serve with stuffed mushrooms
- I like to sprinkle some extra chopped fresh parsley before serving.
- For a party platter situation, you could also make my Creole Sausage Balls with Remoulade Dipping Sauce and these Caprese Crostini for a creative spread.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftover sausage stuffed mushrooms for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
- Reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals until hot, or try the oven or air fryer at a low temperature.
- I don’t recommend freezing these.
If you made these cream cheese stuffed mushrooms with Italian sausage, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram if you made any of my recipes.
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese (a block of Philly) softened and cut into smaller pieces
- 16 ounces cremini stuffer mushrooms stems removed, see notes
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and move the rack to the middle position.
- Microwave the cream cheese in 20-30 second intervals until's very soft.
- Add the sausage meat to a skillet over medium-high heat and cook until just cooked through, breaking it up as you go along (about 5-7 minutes). Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, sauté the onions until lightly browned (about 5-7 minutes).
- Add the sausage meat back to the skillet, stir in the garlic, and cook for about a minute.
- Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the cream cheese. Once it's been incorporated, stir in the parmesan, thyme, parsley, and breadcrumbs.
- Using a small spoon and your hands, stuff the mushrooms with the sausage mixture, packing it fairly tightly (there is quite a lot of filling!). Place them on a baking sheet that's been coated with cooking spray (line with foil first for easy clean-up).
- Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked through and golden on top (if the mushrooms are really large you may need a bit longer).
Notes
- The size of the mushrooms will vary, but in general, a pound of mushrooms should feed 8 people or so as an appetizer if they have 2-3 each.
- I prefer to use the larger cremini “stuffer” mushrooms for this recipe as these mushrooms have a lot of filling. If you want these to be more like one bite finger food, I’d use smaller mushrooms and buy more of them (like 1.5-2 pounds) so there is less stuffing in each mushroom.
- For this recipe, the mushroom stems are not chopped and used in the stuffing. Feel free to repurpose them in stock or use them for something else if you prefer not to entirely discard them.
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So tasty! Another hit! Thanks Natasha.
Thank you so much for your 5-star review, Susan!!! Really appreciate it. XO