Mushroom lovers, there's a delectable way to enjoy mushrooms while staying true to a healthy, low-carb lifestyle with these Cheesy Keto Stuffed Mushrooms. These cheese stuffed mushrooms stand out as a favorite keto appetizer. Tender baked mushrooms are filled with a melty cheddar filling and a hint of fresh sage.
Why This Recipe Works
Many stuffed mushroom recipes include breadcrumbs, but this recipe proves they are unnecessary filler. Instead, the recipe cleverly uses the mushroom stems as part of the filling, enhancing its consistency and intensifying the mushroom flavor while minimizing waste. A flavorful cheese, such as Cabot Seriously Sharp, complements the umami of the mushrooms, while garlic and sage or thyme bring the flavors together.
These keto stuffed mushrooms contain only 4.3g net carbs per serving.
Ingredients for Keto Stuffed Mushrooms
- Button or crimini mushrooms: Choose mushroom caps of a decent size.
- Butter: Salted butter is recommended for cooking the mushroom stems, garlic, and sage, as it adds great flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds more flavor than garlic powder.
- Fresh sage: If fresh sage isn’t available, use about ½ teaspoon of dried ground sage in the filling.
- Cream cheese: Full-fat cream cheese adds a rich, melty quality to the filling.
- Sharp white cheddar: The sharpness of a good cheddar balances the mild cream cheese.
Alternatively, you can use baby bella mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, or the regular white button mushrooms as the edible cups to hold the cheesy stuffing. Other cheeses like Gruyere, Monterrey, pepper Jack, or cheddar cheese can be used.
Preparation Instructions
- Brush the mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove any dirt, then remove the stems from the mushroom caps. Finely dice the stems but keep the mushroom caps whole.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the diced mushroom stems and garlic, and saute until tender and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the sage and season with salt and pepper. Saute one more minute, then remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a large glass or ceramic baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, grated cheddar, and sautéed mushroom mixture. Use a rubber spatula to mix well.
- Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps, pressing in to fill the whole cavity.
Baking the Stuffed Mushrooms
Bake your mushrooms in a glass or ceramic dish. Metal conducts heat more efficiently, but the bottoms of your mushroom caps may brown too quickly. Once the cheese filling is melted and lightly browned on top, they should be done.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Scaling the Recipe
One of the best features of these cheese stuffed mushrooms is the ability to scale the recipe up or down. Make a half batch for a small family group, or a double batch for a big party.
Tips for Success
- To remove the stems, gently pull and twist, and they should come right out in one piece.
- Use a small spoon to pack as much of the cheesy filling as you can into each mushroom cap. You can mound any extra on top as well.
Serving Suggestions
These keto stuffed mushrooms go well served hot with meat, fish, vegetables, or pasta. For variety, try serving them with food that's not loaded with cheese. As a topping for buttered fettuccine or linguine. When you cut into a hot mushroom, the filling oozes out into the pasta!
Storage and Reheating
If you have any leftovers you can place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or bake them in the oven at 350ºF for a few minutes. Stuffed mushrooms don’t really freeze that well as the texture of the mushroom changes after thawing.
Nutritional Information
This cheese stuffed mushroom recipe has 4.9g of carbs and 0.6g of fiber per serving, resulting in 4.3g net carbs for 4 mushrooms.
Variations and Additions
- Crab Stuffed Mushrooms: Add crab meat to the mixture and bread crumbs on top of the mushrooms. Garnish with green onions and fresh parsley.
- Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms: Mix together cream cheese, crumbled bacon, garlic powder, and half of the scallions.
- Italian Style: These Keto Stuffed Mushrooms with Cream Cheese are low-carb and gluten free! They're so delicious and accented with lemon, basil, garlic, Parmesan, mozzarella and butter.
Tips for Dairy-Free
To make this recipe dairy-free, use a dairy-free cream cheese (typically made from almond milk or other nut milks), omit the parmesan, and substitute the butter for avocado oil.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Additional Tips
- Don't wash the mushrooms! They are very porous and will absorb excess moisture, causing them to become rubbery and slimy.
- Use room temperature cream cheese - It blends easily with the rest of the ingredients.
- Mind the salt - It's a good idea to taste the stuffing before adding to the mushroom caps.
- Broil for a crispy top - If you like that crispy cheesy top, broil the stuffed mushrooms for a few minutes until golden brown.
Air Fryer Instructions
You can make air fryer stuffed mushrooms by following this recipe as written but air frying them in a 375°F air fryer for 10-12 minutes or until cooked and the cheese is melted.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare the cheesy filling ingredients ahead of time and stuff the mushrooms up to 24 hours before baking them.
How to Avoid Soggy Stuffed Mushrooms
To avoid watery mushrooms, use low-moisture cheeses and avoid using watery vegetables. To completely eliminate any moisture, saute the stems and pre-bake the caps.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto