My Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are packed full of flavor. I combine juicy tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella to stuff the mushrooms and garlic butter.  These vegetable stuffed portobello mushrooms are then baked in a hot oven served with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. This is a great meat free dinner option and makes a filling meal the whole family will enjoy.

CAPRESE STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

September is National Mushroom Month, and I’m a huge fan of using produce when it is at its seasonal best. 

Mushrooms are at their best during the fall and I wanted to create these Vegetable Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, using the caprese flavors of mozzarella cheese, fresh tomato and basil.

I love caprese flavored recipes like this Caprese Pasta or these Caprese Egg Muffins.

I like to finish off these stuffed mushrooms with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. 

I am always looking a new ways to introduce meatless dishes to my family and these Easy Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are a great recipe for that.

Portobello mushrooms are the mushroom I choose to use as they make a hearty meal option and are large enough to stuff. 

You can serve one of these portobello mushrooms as a great tasting appetizer or double the portion and serve as a filling main with a couple of other veggie sides and salads.

These are also suitable for a gluten free diet, just ensure you check the labeling for the balsamic glaze if you are using it to make sure it is gluten-free.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED TO MAKE CAPRESE STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS?

BUTTER: I use butter for the garlic butter. Use either salted or unsalted butter, both will work in this dish.

HERBS: I use a combination of fresh minced garlic, fresh basil and dried oregano to flavor the mushrooms. They add so much flavor!

MUSHROOMS: I like to try and use medium sized Portobello mushrooms. They are a great size for cooking with.

You can stuff smaller mushrooms, just add more mushrooms and cut down on the cooking time a little.

CHEESE: I use fresh mozzarella cheese, Ciliegine which are cherry sized balls of mozzarella.

They look really pretty on the dish. You can also use regular mozzarella, just slice it and cut into smaller sized pieces.

TOMATOES: I use cherry tomatoes for their sweet flavor, baby plum tomatoes would be a good substitute too.

BALSAMIC GLAZE: Once baked, I like to finish the mushrooms with a drizzle of Heinen’s balsamic glaze. You can use any variety of glaze, or even a dash of good quality balsamic vinegar.

HOW TO MAKE EASY STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS:

HEAT THE OVEN. Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

Also, arrange the oven shelf to sit in the middle of your oven. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

PREPARE THE MUSHROOMS. If necessary, use some damp kitchen paper to clean any dirt from the mushroom. Then remove the stems from the mushrooms and discard.

Next, use a spoon to scrape out the dark gills from inside of the mushroom caps.

MAKE THE GARLIC BUTTER. To make the garlic butter, combine the butter, garlic and 1 teaspoon of oregano in a small saucepan and slowly melt the butter.

Next lightly brush the garlic butter on the bottoms of each mushroom and place them, buttered side down, onto the prepared baking tray.

Make sure not to use too much butter as it can make the mushrooms soggy.

Now brush any remaining garlic butter over the insides of each cap.

 

STUFF THE MUSHROOMS. Divide, the mozzarella and tomatoes evenly between each of the mushrooms. Sprinkle over the remaining 1 teaspoon of dried oregano over the mushrooms.

BAKE THE MUSHROOMS. Place the baking tray into the hot oven and bake the mushrooms for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and is starting to turn golden.

SERVE THE MUSHROOMS. Once, cooked, remove the mushrooms from the oven, top with the fresh basil, a drizzle of balsamic glaze and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

DO YOU HAVE TO SCRAPE THE GILLS FROM A PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM?

No, you don’t have to scrap the gills out of the mushroom, however I like to do that as they are really dark and can look a little unappetizing. Removing the gills also allows more room for the delicious stuffing.

CAN I PREPARE THE MUSHROOMS AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, absolutely. Assemble the mushrooms earlier in the day or the day before.

Place them into an oven-proof dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to cook the mushrooms.

I recommend removing the mushrooms 20-30 minutes before cooking to allow the mushrooms to come to room temperature.

WAYS TO MODIFY THIS RECIPE

There are lots of other flavor combination for topping your mushrooms, it’s down to personal taste. Here are some of my other favorite topping ideas:

• VEGGIES: Add extra chopped veggies like sun-dried tomatoes, olives, spinach, kale, artichoke, green onion, zucchini.
• CHEESE: Swap the mozzarella for goat cheese or feta cheese, or even some cream cheese.
• SPICES: Other spices that work nicely on these are Italian seasoning, za’atar or a Greek seasoning.
• SEEDS & NUTS: Toasted pine-nuts or pumpkin seeds add great crunch.

RECIPE HINTS & TIPS:

• DON’T WASH THE MUSHROOMS: Mushrooms are naturally full of water, so don’t be tempted to wash them, as they will only absorb more water. If you want to clean them then I suggest using some damp paper towels to wipe away any dirt.
• REMOVE THE STEMS: I like to remove the stems as they are quite tough to eat, and once removed you will find that you can get far more of that tasty stuffing into the mushroom.
• BAKE UNTIL TENDER: Only bake the mushrooms until they are tender and still holding their shape. Overcooking mushrooms will cause them to collapse.
• HOW TO STORE MUSHROOMS: Once they are cooked, mushrooms can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When ready to enjoy, reheat the mushrooms in the microwave or a warm oven.
• DON’T FREEZE MUSHROOMS: I don’t recommend freezing mushrooms, they are full of water and because of this, become slimy when defrosted.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS?

I love eating salad and they are a regular feature on my family dinner table. Here are some suggestions that would work well with these mushrooms. Try my Lemon Arugula Salad, Arugula Salad with Capers, Easy Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing, Mediterranean Zucchini Pasta Salad, Mediterranean White Bean Salad, or my Persian Tomato Cucumber Salad.

I’m not serving salad. I especially like these Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Simple Garlic Parmesan Green Beans or my Zucchini Gratin.

TRY SOME OF MY OTHER GREAT TASTING RECIPES FEATURING MUSHROOMS:

INSTANT POT MUSHROOM RISOTTO

GARLIC SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

LENTIL MUSHROOM STEW

MUSHROOM BOURGUIGNON

Today’s post was sponsored by Heinen’s. As always, opinions are 100% my own.