Hey, are you guys like me, just about over chips, dips, and salsas when thinking about making an app to serve or bring? (The price, alone, of a bag of chips is just about enough to make me gasp.) Maybe you’ll want to join me in making these Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms?

Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushroom always seems a bit retro, and what better time to go there when the stores are full of styles from the 70s? I should know, I was there the first time around, lol! So put on your bell-bottoms, wide pants, or your plaid skirts and cardigans, and come along for the ride!

About Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms:

These Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms are filled with classic N’awlins flavor. There’s the trinity: onion, celery, and green pepper, and a choice of bacon, sausage, shrimp, or ham, all mixed with creamy cheese and spiked with a little or a lot of Cajun spice.

You could stop there, but I gotta be a little extra. Each stuffed mushroom top is rolled in garlicky bread crumbs and placed in a little casserole before being doused with a touch of wine.

What comes out are the most flavorful, soft, creamy, crunchy, and delicious mushrooms. I’m showing only half the recipe in my pics because it was just me and another person. That was a mistake! We couldn’t stop eating them and wished for more. If you’re serving for a party, you might want to make the full recipe plus extra.

Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms just out of the oven

Making Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms:

The recipe is simple, but using a food processor on the veggies will save time. (If you have picky eaters who object to veggies, just add a little onion powder and maybe a dash of celery salt instead.

Choose your protein. I love these with ham, but give options for smoked or bulk sausage, shrimp, or pulled pork. Feel free to sub in another cheese for the Cheddar.

The amount of Cajun seasoning can be varied. I suggest a teaspoon or two of my Cajun Spice Blend, but add a little, taste, and add more if you wish.

Make Ahead:

• The filling for Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms should be made 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes ahead, and up to 24 hours, and chilled.
• The breadcrumb topping can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Cool and place in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Prepare and assemble the mushrooms shortly before baking.

Washing Mushrooms:

Back in the day, Chefs recommended brushing the dirt (mushrooms are grown in a sterilized or pasteurized “substrate”) rather than rinsing in water. The concern was that if washed, the mushrooms would act as a sponge, absorb the water, and become heavy, waterlogged, and flavorless.

This is a myth, debunked over and over. It first came to my attention in a 2005 episode of Alton Brown’s Myth Busters. A quick rinse does no harm; just don’t soak the mushrooms.

Leftover Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms:

Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for three to four days. This works best if cooled before covering. Do not freeze.

For best results, reheat servings, lightly covered, in the oven or air-fryer.

Other Stuffed Mushroom Recipes You Might Like:

• Cider and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms – another stuffed mushroom that screams “Autumn.”
• Cheddar, Bacon, and Jalapeno Stuffed Mushrooms – my folks loved the ones from Hy-Vee’s deli. This is the copycat we came up with.
• Stuffed Mushrooms with Wine – published here in 2014, these are a long family fave.

Cider and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Saving Money on Groceries:

What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.

• The deepest sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
• If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.

The key to saving $$ on this or any recipe is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer full of sale-priced items.

Mushrooms:

• Watch sales, especially before holidays. Discount store’s everyday pricing rivals grocery stores’ best sales. Buyers’ clubs may not be cheapest, but the quality is outstanding.
• The bargain is the button; its nutritional value is nearly identical to its pricier cousins.
• Whole mushrooms keep better. Poke or cut several holes in the packaging; store upside down in the fridge.

Ham:

• Ham is at a low before Easter and the Winter Holidays; sales are highly competitive. It keeps in the fridge several weeks and freezes well, so consider picking up an extra.
• Consider taking a slice or two of your ham before cooking or freezing, for “ham steaks.” A ham steak bought any time of the year will be around the same price as a half ham bought before a holiday.
• Check out 12 Days of Ham for handling cooked ham and recipe inspiration using leftover ham.

Basic Veggies: 

• Basic veggies like onions and celery are some of the cheapest. For best pricing, try the discount stores.
• Store onions in a dark place, away from potatoes. No need to wrap celery in foil (that adds up), just slip it in the produce bag and put another over the top.

Bell Peppers:

• Buy on sale or take advantage of discount store pricing. Compare the pricing of two or three packs to singles. Green peppers are the bargain, cheaper than other colors.
• Store for one to two weeks in a perforated bag (or the bag they come in; staple or tape it shut after removing one).
• If a save is needed, roast, peel, and freeze the colored ones; green can be diced and frozen, sauteed or raw, for future recipes.

Cream Cheese:

• Will be on sale before every holiday, especially “baking” holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The discount stores, Aldi & Lidl, as well as buyer’s clubs, have great pricing and Holiday sales, too.
• Check dollar stores around Christmas; in the past few years, I’ve picked up packages for a dollar (2024).
• Know your regular price, sale price, and great sale price. Stock up at rock bottom; it keeps for weeks after the “best by” date. It can be frozen, but once thawed is best used in recipes.
• Neuchâtel is often less expensive than full-fat. Some brands rely on”gums” for thickening, which can affect no-bake items that need to set up w/o heat.

Grocery Cheese:

• Grocery Store Cheese is a great item to pick up at rock bottom and keep on hand. The best pricing is a discount store’s sales, but if not an option, know the lows at your store. Compare pricing by pound or ounce.
• Cheese keeps for weeks, unopened, and can be frozen. After freezing, it will be a little crumbly but still great for casseroles and cooking.

There’s something about Cajun flavors that stand up so well to the cool, crisp days of fall, although Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms are good any time of the year! Thanks for visiting, and until next time,

Mollie

Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms

Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms

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• Author: mollie kirby
• Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: about 2 dozen 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Cuisine: Cajun & Creole

Ingredients

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For the Mushrooms:

• 1 pound white button mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and reserved
• 1/2 cup ham, finely chopped or shredded (substitute smoked sausage, cooked bulk sausage, cooked chopped shrimp, or pulled pork if desired)
• 1/4 medium onion, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 medium green bell pepper, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 stalk celery, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
• stems from mushrooms, tough ends removed, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 fat garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• a good squeeze of lemon juice (about a tablespoon)
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (large grate)
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• garnish: thinly sliced green onion or minced fresh parsley, optional

For the Breadcrumb Topping:

• 1/3 cup fresh or toasted breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon packed finely chopped parsley
• 2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• salt as desired

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Instructions

For the Mushrooms:

When mushrooms are nearly ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Wipe off or quickly rinse mushrooms in cold water and pat dry. Pop out stems, reserving both caps and stems. Finely chop mushroom stems (remove any hard ends first) and set aside.

If using sausage or shrimp:

• For the sausage: add the sausage to a pan with a tablespoon of water; turn on the heat and crumble as the sausage browns. Set aside on a plate to cool. Drain most of the oil from the pan leaving about a tablespoon.
• For the shrimp: heat a tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook for a minute or two (depending on size), turn and finish the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside. When cool enough to handle, finely chop. Leave the oil in the pan.

If sausage or shrimp has been used, add onions, green pepper, and celery to the same skillet; cook for five to six minutes over medium heat until vegetables are softening. If using ham or pulled pork, do the same but add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat before adding in the onions, green pepper, and celery.

Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for two to three minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two until garlic is fragrant.

Add Cajun seasoning and lemon juice, and stir well. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and Cheddar cheese. Add the cooled vegetable mixture. Add whichever protein was chosen. Mix together. Taste and add salt if needed. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 to 45 minutes, just to firm it up a little. (It will hold its shape better in the mushrooms as they’re cooked if the mixture is cool.)

In the meantime, prepare the bread crumb topping, below.

To Assemble and Bake:

Using a teaspoon scoop, scoop the filling mixture generously, then mound it into the hollowed-out mushroom caps. Roll each mushroom in the breadcrumbs, covering the tops and sides of the mounded mixture. Place mushrooms upright in a small casserole; add about 1/2 cup of wine to the bottom.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not piping hot.

Garnish with green onions or fresh parsley when serving, if desired.

The Breadcrumb Topping:

Heat a small skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of butter or oil.

• If using already toasted breadcrumbs, add to skillet and heat, then add the garlic powder, parsley, and Parmesan. Heat through, stirring often, until golden in color and parsley is shriveling, then remove to a shallow bowl.
• If not toasted, add breadcrumbs to skillet with the butter or olive oil. Stir often until they’re starting to turn golden brown and crispy; add the remaining ingredients and continue as above.