Cheesy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms – Easy Holiday Appetizer Idea!

Why These Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms Will Get the Party Started

These stuffed mushrooms are filled with so much flavor from the sausage, spinach, herbs and cream cheese! They are straight up addictive, so don’t plan on having any leftovers when you make these for a party.

• Easy to make. Cook the filling in minutes, mix in the cream cheese, stuff the mushrooms, and bake. Simple! This recipe is always great for making ahead.
• Deeply savory, decadent flavor. The cream cheese and melty mozzarella make these stuffed mushrooms feel indulgent, and I love the savory sausage and umami mushrooms together.
• The hit of any party. We all want to be the star of the appetizer table, and these stuffed mushrooms will have everyone asking you for the recipe! Grab one, pop it in your mouth … no plate needed, just go back for another and repeat (and repeat and repeat).

What You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for these sausage stuffed mushrooms. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Grapeseed oil – Or another oil you like to use for cooking.
• Shallot and garlic – These add flavor to the cream cheese filling.
• Pork sausage – If you prefer turkey or chicken sausage, feel free to swap that in.
• Herbs – I use oregano and parsley, plus chives for garnish.
• Fresh spinach – You can use regular spinach or baby spinach. Either way, you’ll want to chop it.
• Cream cheese – The kind that comes in a block, nothing fancy!
• Baby bella mushrooms – Also known as cremini mushrooms.
• Shredded mozzarella – For melty gooeyness. Gouda would also work!

How to Make Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Let’s get started! Here’s a step-by-step guide to making this recipe.

• Prepare. Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Pull the stems off of the mushrooms and finely chop them for the filling.
• Cook the aromatics. Warm a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the oil and shallots. Cook until softened and translucent, then stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
• Cook the mushroom stems and sausage. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Then, add the sausage and cook until it’s browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
• Finish the filling. Stir in the oregano, parsley, and spinach. Remove from the heat once the spinach wilts, then transfer this mixture to a bowl with the cream cheese. Stir to combine.
• Fill the mushrooms. Place the mushroom caps on a baking sheet and divide the filling into the little pocket created by pulling off the stem. 
• Bake. Place the mushrooms in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Finish. Add the mozzarella on top, garnish with chives, and serve.

Tips for Success

I’ve got a few pointers to help you nail these sausage stuffed mushrooms!

• Make sure they don’t roll around on the pan. I like to make a thin slice on the top of each mushroom cap so that when I flip them over to fill them, they stand up straight on the pan without rolling from side to side. This makes for a nicer presentation too.
• Keep the stuffed mushrooms from being watery. As a way to counteract your mushrooms getting too watery, you can sprinkle them with a little salt and let them sit out while you’re making the filling. The salt will draw the moisture out of the mushrooms.
• Cook off all the liquid from the spinach. This is another trick to keeping the filling from being watery. If there’s a lot of liquid in the pan after the spinach wilts even after cooking it a bit, you can use a slotted spoon to remove the spinach-sausage mixture to the bowl with the cream cheese, leaving the liquid behind.

Variation Ideas

While my favorite is this cheesy sausage filling, I wanted to share a few more options with you!

• Omit the sausage. I’ve also made a spinach cream cheese filling and that is delicious—and vegetarian too.
• Swap the cream cheese for goat cheese. Try my Easy Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms.
• Dollop in spinach artichoke dip. Use homemade Spinach Artichoke Dip or store-bought. Sprinkle some mozzarella or provolone on top.
• Add seafood. Lots of people like to stuff mushrooms with seafood, so you could make a crab filling with cream cheese or a seafood mixture. Try my Quick Crab Stuffed Mushrooms!
• Herbed cream cheese. Or you could just go classic and make a seasoned cream cheese mixture with your favorite fresh herbs, garlic powder, etc.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerator: Place the sausage stuffed mushrooms in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, as the filling is likely to become watery and grainy.
• To reheat: Reheat leftover stuffed mushrooms in a 350°F oven until warmed through and the tops are bubbling. The air fryer also works!

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