Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms (You Can Make Ahead!)

No breadcrumbs involved with these garlic stuffed mushrooms so this recipe is not only healthy and yummy, but also gluten-free, low-carb, and paleo.

this RECIPE

Since Dustin and I have been together, he has shared how much he loves stuffed mushrooms.

Whenever we used go to a new Italian restaurant, he would eagerly checks the menu to see if they have stuffed mushrooms. It was actually pretty cute — how excited he would get when he saw the restaurant had them. He'd mentions nonchalantly, “Oh, hey — they have stuffed mushrooms here… wanna try ’em?”

As if I’d say no. 😉

His favorite stuffed mushrooms came from a recipe his best friend’s mom makes for her Christmas Eve party every year. Needless to say, Dustin compares all stuffed mushrooms — both my own recipes and what we'd order at restaurants — to those stuffed mushrooms.  None usually compared.

Well, I too enjoy a good stuffed mushroom every now and then so I decided to update an old recipe that both Dustin and I love and turn it into healthy stuffed mushrooms.

I used fresh Italian parsley, grated parmesan cheese, lots of garlic and baked almond meal combined with seasoning and thyme to replace the bread crumbs that are usually required. Let me tell you something – the flavor of these easy stuffed mushrooms is so amazing. Better than the recipe I used before my clean eating days!

I also like to add a squeeze of fresh lemon — it complements the garlic stuffed mushrooms quite nicely and lightens the flavors.

For us both, these are the best stuffed mushrooms!

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY GARLIC STUFFED MUSHROOMS

If this is not your first baked stuffed mushrooms recipe, you already know they usually contain a lot of butter and breadcrumbs, which makes them not so bueno for the body. But I’m thinking you want to learn how to make stuffed mushrooms the healthy way.

Here’s how to make stuffed mushrooms my way AKA the healthy way:

1. mix almond meal with salt, pepper, olive oil, and thyme and bake in the oven – if you want that lovely crunchy texture of classic stuffed mushrooms, this step is super important;
2. prep the mushrooms (tips for how to clean mushrooms below);
3. pre-bake the mushrooms (I’ll explain later how to bake stuffed mushrooms and how long to bake stuffed mushrooms);
4. prep the mushrooms filling and mix it with the breadcrumbs;
5. stuff mushrooms with the filling;
6. transfer the stuffed mushroom caps to the oven and bake.

That’s it!

Well, then comes the most important part – eating the garlic stuffed mushrooms. I mean, that’s my favorite part. Actually, I think that’s everybody’s favorite part. Am I right?

HOW TO CLEAN MUSHROOMS

As promised, it’s time to discuss how to clean mushrooms. Because I get this question a lot when I cook with mushrooms. Mushrooms are confusing when it comes to the prepping process. One thing is for sure – you have to clean the mushrooms because, otherwise, they are not safe to eat.

So here’s how to clean mushrooms:

1. with a mushroom brush or a damp paper towel, clean each mushroom to remove dirt;
2. rinse the mushrooms with clean water – do not soak them! – mushrooms absorb water very fast;
3. pat the mushrooms dry with a towel.

That’s it. It’s not complicated, right? However, I have to say this – don’t wash mushrooms unless you are ready to cook them. If you want to wash them ahead of time they will turn slimy and that’s not good. Not good at all.

WHAT CAN I PUT IN STUFFED MUSHROOMS?

Whatever your heart desires… well, preferably something tasty and healthy. In all honesty though, you can stuff mushrooms with pretty much anything. I like to stick to healthy combos like…

• the one I used in this stuffed mushroom recipe because it’s a yummy combination of cheese stuffed mushrooms and garlic stuffed mushrooms - baked almond meal, seasoned and cooked mushrooms stems, parsley, and parmesan;
• cheese stuffed mushrooms are quite popular and you can combine the cheese with other healthy ingredients to recreate your favorite Italian dishes – you can make caprese stuffed mushrooms, quattro formaggi stuffed mushrooms or use your favorite pizza toppings to make stuffed mushrooms pizza;
• if you’re vegan, skip the cheese and stick to my recipe or opt for veggies such as bell pepper or veggies and greens combo – spinach and artichokes;

MAKING STUFFED MUSHROOMS AHEAD OF TIME

If you plan a party or family gathering and you want to prep the healthy appetizers ahead of time, the good news is you can do this with the mushroom appetizers.

You can stuff the mushrooms and store them in the fridge, uncooked, for a day or 2.

Take them out of the fridge and bake right before the party and you’re good to go.  They will reheat in the microwave pretty well, but will not be as crunchy with the topping unless freshly baked.

HOW LONG TO BAKE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

And speaking of baking the stuffed mushrooms, earlier, I mentioned that I will tell you how long to cook stuffed mushrooms because I prefer to pre-bake the mushrooms with no stuffing, then stuff mushrooms and bake them. In this way, I always know for sure that the mushrooms are cooked through and totes delicious. Here’s how I do it:

1. put the mushrooms on a baking sheet stem-side down and place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes;
2. remove from the oven, stuff mushrooms, and place them on the baking sheet. Bake again ‘til the mushrooms are tender, approximately 15-20 minutes.

So how long to bake stuffed mushrooms? A total of 25-30 minutes in 2 steps to allow the mushrooms to release their juices and to make them as yummy as possible.

WHAT GOES WITH STUFFED MUSHROOMS?

It depends… what do you have in mind?

• You want to serve the stuffed mushrooms as healthy appetizers? Then pair them with other healthy appetizers. You have 3 more healthy appetizer recipes below if you want options.
• You can also enjoy these easy stuffed mushrooms as a side or a main. If you want them to be the main dish, pair them with roasted veggies (I like them with roasted broccoli) and crockpot mashed potatoes or a side salad if you want a low-carb alternative.
• If you want the stuffed mushrooms to be the side, I think healthy chicken dishes are the easiest option.

CAN I FREEZE STUFFED MUSHROOMS?

As long as you don’t bake them first, yes, you can freeze stuffed mushrooms. Unfortunately, you cannot freeze baked mushrooms. They don’t freeze well and they won't be as tasty or as firm when you thaw them. Follow the tips for how to freeze mushrooms if you don’t want soggy stuffed mushrooms:

1. stuff mushrooms;
2. place the stuffed mushroom caps on a baking sheet;
3. place the baking sheet in the freezer for 3 hours;
4. remove the mushrooms from the freezer and transfer them to Ziploc bags;
5. place them back in the freezer and store for up to 3 months.

3 MORE HEALTHY APPETIZERS

Time for more healthy appetizers because, no matter how much I love these stuffed mushrooms, not everybody will love them as much as I do and, if you organize a party, you need to please all your guests. If they are not into your mushroom appetizers, they will surely love the rest of the healthy appetizers you put together.

HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY MEAT AND CHEESE PLATTER

Learn How to Make a Healthy Meat and Cheese Platter because it’s the easiest healthy appetizer you can put together.

But, despite being easy, it looks fancy, impressive, and yummy.

SWEET POTATO SKINS

Another yummy, healthy, and easy to make appetizer - Sweet Potato Skins.

To make the Sweet Potato Skins healthy, I stuff them with chicken, cooked spinach, and greek yogurt. 

CARAMELIZED ONION DIP

You know what else I love for parties and gatherings? Dips. Healthy ones like this Caramelized Onion Dip.

The Caramelized Onion Dip is super flavorful and yummy. And it will make everybody want to eat veggies because it’s the perfect dip for veggies!

This post contains affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.