We recently had these gems as part of our New Year’s Eve dinner. Any festive occasion such as anniversary, graduation, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or you just feel a little decadent one day, they are an easy, healthy and festive main or first course for any special celebration.
Try to pick four equally-sized large portobello mushrooms. Check the gills to see if they’re fresh by looking for a paper-thin layer of white cap. The perfect mushrooms will be damp and springy but not overly moist, mushy, or dried out.
Break the stems off of the portobello mushrooms and scrape the gills out of them with a spoon. Wipe the caps with a damp paper towel, and then lay them gilled side up in the dish before setting them aside.
Once prepped and filled, bake the mushrooms until they are soft, the filling is heated through, and the topping is browned, which should take around 30 to 32 minutes. Let the mushrooms cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then top them with additional scallions before serving (if desired).
Unbelievably delicious, we paired ours with Baked Scallops with Couscous and Leeks for a romantic New Year’s Eve dinner at home. We will be making them again as an hors d’oeuvre for an upcoming dinner party, but will use smaller cremini mushrooms. However, be prepared for sticker-shock over the price of lump crab meat… but special occasions call for treating yourself, right?
A few weeks later we made the appetizer size for the house party. Using the same amount of ingredients for the stuffing, it filled about 30 button mushrooms and took approximately 25 minutes to cook.
Crab Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 4 large Portobello mushrooms
- 4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
- 1 1/2 tsp. seafood seasoning blend such as Old Bay
- ¼ tsp. salt, optional
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 5 to 10 dashes of Tabasco hot sauce
- 1 egg white
- 2 scallions, finely sliced, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs, plus 3 Tbsp., divided (gluten-free if desired)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1 Tbsp., divided
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped jarred and drained roasted red pepper or pimento
- 8 oz. lump or jumbo crab meat
- 1 Tbsp. melted salted butter
- 1/8 tsp. paprika
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Break stems off portobello mushrooms. Scrape gills out of them with a spoon. Wipe caps with a damp paper towel. Lay gilled side up in the dish. Set aside.
- Beat cream cheese, Old Bay, salt and Tabasco with an electric mixer on medium-low until creamy and the seasonings are fully incorporated into the cream cheese. Add egg white and beat again to combine.
- Add scallions, ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ Parmesan and red pepper and mix on low until combined.
- Stir crab, gently by hand into the cream cheese mixture until just incorporated.
- Scoop the filling into the mushrooms, dividing evenly.
- Stir the remaining 3 tablespoons panko with butter and paprika until the breadcrumbs are evenly moistened and reddish orange. Sprinkle over the mushrooms. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan.
- Bake the mushrooms until they are soft, the filling is heated through and the topping is browned, 30 to 32 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes. Top with additional scallions before serving, if desired.
Original recipe by Katie Webster
Accounting for Taste 