Stuffed Mushrooms with Brie and Panko

These easy stuffed mushrooms with garlic, capers, creamy brie and crispy panko are sure to be a hit at your next party!

When it comes to party food, the best bites are the ones you can pop into your mouth and enjoy in one bite. These stuffed mushrooms are exactly that kind of party food, even though they're jam-packed with deliciousness.

This recipe is an update of my original stuffed mushroom recipe from 2013. Those were good, but oh my goodness these are SO much better!

I kept the capers and garlic from the original recipe - a nod to the tasty mushrooms you can get at a nice steakhouse. The brie is still in there too, of course. But these little showstoppers got an upgrade in the form of a crunchy panko topping.

Now, if you're a mushroom lover, then you're going to LOVE this recipe. The mushrooms get a quick bath in butter, then roast in the oven for almost half an hour. This gives them a nice golden brown exterior, with a juicy chewy texture.

Which is exactly what mushroom haters dislike about mushrooms, so this recipe isn't going to convert anyone who despises funghi. Just saying...

I know a lot of people aren't fond of capers either, so if that's you feel free to leave them out. The flavour of the capers isn't very pronounced in this recipe, as I only used a teaspoon of them and they almost melt into the panko topping.

I do like the mild salty and briny flavour that they add though, it's just a little extra something that makes these stuffed mushrooms extra tasty.

As for the mushrooms, I like to go with large white "button" mushrooms but you could use crimini mushrooms instead.

Portobella mushrooms could also work here, but you'd have to use fewer mushrooms as they are much larger than what I used here.

How to Clean Mushrooms to Make Stuffed Mushrooms

First, you need to clean your mushrooms. The recommended way to do this is to simply brush or wipe the "dirt" off the mushrooms, as washing them can cause them to absorb water.

White and brown mushrooms don't require much cleaning. According to Mushrooms Canada, these mushrooms are grown in a pasteurized substrate that is free from harmful bacteria. The flecks of black "dirt" that you commonly see on mushrooms are harmless bits of peat moss.

That being said, I know there's going to be at least one person reading this who wants to wash their mushrooms. Maybe you don't want to spend time wiping each one. Maybe you're worried about the germs from the hands of people who were touching the mushrooms at the grocery.

Whatever it is, if you really must wash your mushrooms, be sure to just give them a quick rinse in very cold water and they should be just fine. I do mean quick though. Rinse the mushrooms in a basin with cold water, pour the water out, do it again if you need to, and then dry the mushrooms as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you're going to have sad, soggy mushrooms that just don't roast well.

How to Prepare Mushrooms to Make Stuffed Mushrooms

Once your mushrooms are all cleaned up, you'll need to remove the stems. I just wiggle the stem back and forth until it comes loose from the cap.

If the stem doesn't break off cleanly from the cap, that's ok. Simply use a spoon to gently scrape off the excess, so you'll have space for the filing.

If the mushrooms are older and them stems are very woody, you might want to toss them. If they're not too tough, you can save them for soup, stock or chop them up for a stir fry.

What Kind of Brie Should You Use to Stuff These Mushrooms

I used a 200g wheel of generic double-cream Brie for this recipe. It's sold under my local grocery store's house brand and is nothing fancy. But it's creamy and has a nice mild mushroomy flavour on its own, and works just fine for these stuffed mushrooms.

You don't need a fancy Brie for this recipe, because it's getting mixed in with a lot of other strong flavours. You can use any Brie that you enjoy, but just don't feel that you need to spring for something expensive to make these little nibbles.

Why Panko Instead of Breadcrumbs?

I find that panko gives me consistently crispy results, whereas breadcrumbs sometimes go a bit soggy on me. I've also grown up eating and cooking with panko, and very rarely using regular breadcrumbs, so I'm kind of biased there. If you don't have panko, or would rather use Italian breadcrumbs, go for it! The recipe should turn out very similar.

Seasoned breadcrumbs might even be an easier way to go, so you avoid having to wash and chop fresh parsley. You can also omit the crumbs all together, and simply put the caper and garlic mixture UNDER the brie, which is what I did in the older version of this recipe. You've got lots of options with this one.

These brie-stuffed mushrooms are tasty on their own, but they also pair well with a little Dijon mustard. I wouldn't say they necessarily need a dip, but a little smear of spicy mustard really does make them pop.

My stuffed mushrooms have the best texture when served fresh from the oven (let them cool a bit though, as hot cheese burns!). However, hey also re-heat fairly well in the oven, or even in a toaster oven. The dry heat helps to re-crisp the topping and helps the cheese melt back into its former creamy goodness.

Don't throw these in the microwave though, as they will become disappointingly soggy.

I hope you'll try making these stuffed mushrooms sometime soon! If you do, let me know how they turn out for you in the comments below.
Happy cooking!