Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (Vegetarian Recipe)
“This was a refreshing and healthier change from my usual recipe of shrimp stuffed mushrooms! I loved the bright touch that the butternut squash added. This recipe is a keeper!” Debra
These vegetarian stuffed portobello mushrooms, filled with fresh vegetables, herbs, panko and cheese, make a delicious main course or side dish – a wonderful change of pace from the usual fare. Grill or bake.
What to expect
This stuffed portobella recipe was inspired by three great sources – The New York Times, Cooking Light, and All Recipes, plus a few or my own tweaks.
When I talk about stuffed in this recipe, I mean it! These monsters hold a lot. We load them with healthy fresh chopped spinach, butternut squash, cheese, green onions, oregano, tomatoes, and Panko. Seriously delicious!
Bottom line: The result is a tasty, healthy and satisfying vegetarian main dish or side dish where meat lovers (like me) don’t actually miss the meat. It’s an easy recipe for a weeknight dinner – grilled or baked.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Portobello mushrooms: These are large, meaty mushrooms with a savory, umami flavor that are perfect for holding a stuffing due to their large caps.
- Stuffing: This is a savory mixture of spinach, tomatoes, panko breadcrumbs, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, spiralized butternut squash, garlic, green onions, and oregano.
- Marinade: I marinate the mushrooms to enhance their flavor with a blend of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard.
Variations and substitutes
- Stuffing options:
- Veggies: Swap in or add bell pepper, canned black beans or white beans.
- Butternut squash: Skip the spiralized squash if you prefer (although it does add a nice bit of texture).
- Tomatoes: Replace the regular tomatoes with homemade fire roasted tomatoes.
- Cheese: Instead of mozzarella, try goat cheese, feta cheese, Gruyère, or Emmental.
- Herb choices: Instead of oregano or thyme, try fresh tarragon or chives. Italian seasoning or other dried herbs also work well (1 tablespoon fresh = 1 teaspoon dried, a 3:1 ratio)
- Marinade: Use a store-bought balsamic or Italian vinaigrette instead of the recipe marinade.
- Cooking method: The recipe includes instructions for grilling these meaty portobello mushrooms, but check the recipe notes for baking directions as well.
- Toppings: See below ‘what to serve with…’
Step-by-step instructions
Tip
You can alter the veggies, BUT:
- don’t use vegetables with a high water content like zucchini as they will make the stuffing soggy.
- use fast cooking or very finely chopped vegetables as the cooking time is short.
Shortcuts
- Buy pre-spiralized butternut squash or leave it out.
- Buy pre-washed fresh baby spinach
- Instead of grating the cheese, buy it pre-shredded.
- Substitute fresh garlic with garlic from the jar or frozen cubes.
- Marinate the mushrooms in a store-bought Balsamic or Italian salad dressing.
What to serve with stuffed portobello
Toppings: For an extra burst of flavor and color, serve the stuffed mushrooms with one of these finishing touches: marinara sauce, salsa, pico de Gallo, a herb drizzle, chimichurri, Greek yogurt, tomato bruschetta or a drizzle of basil pesto.
As a main dish, try pairing the stuffed mushrooms with one or two or these sides: purple cabbage slaw, flat green beans (charred), spicy Asian coleslaw, or citrus salad with greens. Jenna, the vegetarian kook, likes to top them with a bit or marinara sauce or salsa.
As a side dish, the mushrooms pair really well with: flank steak, cedar planked chicken, easy maple lime salmon, smoked chicken thighs (no smoker needed) and juicy grilled pork chops.
Or check out our summer Sunday dinner ideas for other options.
FAQs on portobello mushrooms
Like all mushrooms, portabella mushrooms are actually fungi (not vegetable. plant or animal. They are the same species as white button mushrooms and cremini mushrooms, but are much larger and can be as big as 6 inches/15 cm in diameter.
Although gills are edible, it’s a good idea to remove the gills on portobello mushrooms before cooking them as they can make the stuffing and mushrooms soggy. They are easy to scrape off with a spoon.
According to WebMD, fresh portabella mushrooms should be stored in the fridge in their original container or a paper bag, not at room temperature where they may grow bacteria.
More recipes for mushroom lovers
- baked chicken and cream of mushroom soup (one of our top 10 recipes)
- mushroom spinach pasta
- healthy meatloaf with mushroom gravy
- sous vide veal chops with mushroom sauce
- vegetable couscous
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thank you so much!
Veggie Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 6 large Portobello mushrooms (mushroom stems removed)
Marinade
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Stuffing, Note 1
- 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup shredded Mozarella cheese (or Emmental), divided (optional: additional grated Parmesan cheese)
- 3 tablespoon finely chopped green onions or chives
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano (or thyme)
- 1/2 cup chopped tomato, juice squeezed out
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup spiralized butternut squash (OPTIONAL)
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced (2 garlic cloves) or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- PREPARE AND MARINATE MUSHROOMS: Wipe/clean top of portobello mushroom caps with a damp paper towel. Using a spoon, gently scrape out the black gills in the inner side of the mushroom caps and discard. Mix together marinade ingredients, brush over top and bottom of mushrooms, then set aside for 20-30 minutes to marinate while you prepare the stuffing. Shortcut: use a bottled salad dressing instead of marinade e.g. Italian or balsamic.
- PREPARE GRILL: Spray grill with oil or wipe grill with an oil soaked paper towel. Heat BBQ grill to medium high heat. Note 2 (to bake)
- PREPARE STUFFING AND STUFF MUSHROOMS: In a medium bowl, combine all stuffing ingredients (leaving 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese for topping). Taste and adjust seasonings. Spoon stuffing into cavity of the 6 mushroom caps, pressing down slightly to adhere. Sprinkle on remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella. If desired, sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese too.
- GRILL AND SERVE: Place mushrooms on grill, stuffing side up. Close lid and cook about 6-7 minutes. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Stuffing options
- Veggies: Swap in or add bell pepper, canned black beans or white beans. NOTE: Keep in mind that the cook time is short, so you need to use vegetables that require minimal cooking time – and avoid watery veggies like zucchini.
- Tomatoes: Replace the regular tomatoes with homemade fire roasted tomatoes.
- Cheese: Instead of mozzarella, try goat cheese, feta cheese, Gruyère, or Emmental. For a vegan version, use vegan cheese or nutritional yeast.
- Herb and seasoning choices: Instead of oregano or thyme, try fresh tarragon or chives. Italian seasoning or other dried herbs also work well (1 tablespoon fresh = 1 teaspoon dried, a 3:1 ratio). And feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like heat.
- To bake instead of grill: If you don’t have a grill, the stuffed portobello mushrooms can be baked in a 425F/218C oven for about 10-12 minutes on a baking sheet.
- Toppings: Add extra flavor and color when serving, with one of these: marinara sauce, salsa, pico de Gallo, a herb drizzle, chimichurri, Greek yogurt, tomato bruschetta or a drizzle of basil pesto.
- To make ahead and store: Complete the dish. Let mushrooms sit until needed. Then rewarm under the broiler for 2 minutes. Or, prepare everything ahead including stuffing the mushrooms, then grill just before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days and rewarmed in the oven.
This was a refreshing and healthier change from my usual recipe of shrimp stuffed mushrooms! I loved the bright touch that the butternut squash added. This recipe is a keeper!
Really glad you enjoyed the recipe Debra 🙂