Vegetarian Recipes

Stuffed Mushrooms

When I’m feeding skeptical meat-eaters vegetarian cuisine, mushrooms are one of my favorite magic tricks. Mushrooms are one of the few vegetarian ingredients that are included when chefs talk about umami. Umami is a savory, rich, “meaty” taste sensation that’s one of the five basic tastes, and these Stuffed Mushrooms are packed with it. I stuff button mushrooms with a herby cream cheese filling, which is made even more delicious thanks to the garlic, parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and crispy breadcrumbs. Everything comes together in one savory, bite-sized package. These make the best appetizer, game-day snack, or veggie side dish on a budget!

Here’s what you’ll need to make these cream cheese stuffed mushrooms:

Fresh Button Mushrooms: You can use any type of button mushroom you like! The filling is enough to fill 20 mushroom caps, which is approx 16 oz. of button mushrooms. Just note larger mushrooms will use more filling, so the total serving size will vary.
Cream Cheese: Makes the filling creamy, tangy, and rich—just like the stuffed mushrooms you get at a restaurant.
Yellow Onion & Garlic: These infuse the cream cheese filling with more flavor.
Salted Butter: Sautes the onion, garlic, and rosemary and adds richness to the filling.
Italian Breadcrumbs: Like in my Tuscan white bean stuffed tomatoes recipe, breadcrumbs help bind the filling together and add texture. Plain panko breadcrumbs will also work if you don’t have Italian breadcrumbs on hand.
Crushed Walnuts: Gives the filling a little crunch and texture.
Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil: We had some left over from our pesto sun dried tomato grilled cheese recipe, and they add even more umami flavor to this dish. (They’re also one of my favorite ingredients for minimally processed meat substitutes!) I recommend getting the sun dried tomatoes in oil, as we use both the tomatoes and the oil. Alternatively, you could use olive oil and dehydrated sun dried tomatoes—I’ve included steps for rehydrating dried tomatoes in the recipe card notes below.
Shredded Parmesan: Adds a salty and slightly nutty flavor to the filling.
Fresh Rosemary & Parsley: A sprig of rosemary and minced parsley add freshness, aroma, and even more flavor to the mushrooms.
Salt & Black Pepper: Enhances the other flavors and brings everything together.

A note on Button Mushrooms

Did you know white button mushrooms are the same mushroom as crimini? And the brown mushroom, as well as the portobello? The difference is simply their age; they are all “Agaricus bisporus“. The brown crimini and the large, brown portobello are more mature versions of the very same mushroom. White button mushrooms are almost always cheaper than baby Bella and portobello mushrooms, so use this knowledge to your advantage when you’re working on your food budget! ($2.18 for “baby bella” mushrooms vs. $1.98 for “white button mushrooms” when I checked earlier this week!)

I clean my mushrooms using a dry towel to gently wipe off any dirt or debris. If your mushrooms are particularly dirty, you can also wipe them with a damp (not soaking wet) cloth or a mushroom brush. Avoid submerging mushrooms in water as they’re extremely porous and will absorb liquid, making them soggy when cooked! This is one of the reasons why they are so great for marinating!
You could make this stuffed mushrooms recipe an omnivore’s delight by using ground Italian sausage instead of sun dried tomatoes or by adding some chopped bacon to the filling.
Vegan? No problem! You can easily substitute dairy-free cream cheese and cheese in this recipe to make these stuffed mushrooms completely plant-based.
For a make-ahead option, prepare the filling and mushroom caps, stuff, cover, and refrigerate. When ready to bake, continue with the recipe as directed. I’d use the pre-prepared ingredients within 2 days of refrigeration.
Don’t throw out the mushroom stems! Instead, use them in homemade mushroom soup, mushroom rice, mushroom herb gravy, or make an easy vegetable stir fry. They can also be added to stocks and broths for extra flavor.

What Goes with Stuffed Mushrooms?

I’d serve these mushrooms with other finger foods like bruschetta, baked zucchini fries, and mini broccoli cheddar quiches for a fun appetizer spread! You could also enjoy them as a side dish with anything you like, such as sweet corn risotto, grilled salmon, chicken Parmesan, or pasta dishes like our orzo pasta salad.

However, I also love these mushrooms as a veggie-packed main dish! Try them with a side of rice (arroz verde would be amazing) or served over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes—so satisfying and tasty!

Storage Instructions

Once baked, you can keep these vegetarian stuffed mushrooms in the fridge for 3-4 days. Let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. Reheat them in the oven before serving.

Stuffed Mushrooms

This Stuffed Mushrooms recipe is the best appetizer or veggie side dish! They’re bite-sized and packed with a herby cream cheese filling.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Total Cost ($11.58 recipe / $1.93 serving)

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings servings (20 mushroom caps, 3-4 caps per person)

Calories 286kcal

Author Jess – Budget Bytes

Equipment

Ingredients

2 Tbsp salted butter $0.26
½ yellow onion, diced small $0.47
1 sprig rosemary $0.29
3 garlic cloves, minced $0.09
1 tsp parsley, minced (reserve a pinch for garnishing) $0.05
2 Tbsp crushed walnuts $0.42
1 8 oz package of cream cheese $1.83
½ tsp salt $0.01
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.08
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs (or plain panko) $0.93
⅓ cup shredded Parmesan $2.21
3 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes in oil, minced + 1 Tbsp oil, reserved* $0.96
16 oz fresh button mushrooms $3.98

Instructions

In a medium size skillet, melt butter and sauté diced onion with rosemary sprig over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Remove the rosemary leaves from the sprig and discard the stem. Add the rosemary leaves, cooked onions, garlic, and butter from the pan to a food processor on top of fresh minced parsley (reserve a pinch for garnishing), walnuts, cream cheese, salt and pepper.
Pulse in food processor until combined but still chunky
Fold in breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and minced sun dried tomatoes.
Clean mushrooms with a dry towel to remove any dirt. Remove stems and use a spoon to scoop out the gills of the mushrooms. Discard the gills and stuff mushrooms gently with a spoon so they are overflowing.
Drizzle with reserved sun dried tomato oil and rub the bottom of each mushroom in any oil that is leftover or has dripped onto your baking sheet.*
Bake the mushrooms in 400 degree oven on a lightly greased, parchment-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes
When done, simply garnish with the reserved minced parsley and a crank of salt and pepper on top! Enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*If you did not buy the kind of sun dried tomatoes that are stored in oil, you can rehydrate dehydrated sun dried tomatoes by soaking them in water on your countertop until they are soft and pliable. You can also soak them in olive oil until the same consistency is achieved! If you do not have sun dried tomato oil to drizzle on top, regular olive oil will do just fine.

Nutrition

A hand taking a stuffed mushroom from a wooden chopping board.

how to make Stuffed Mushrooms – step by step photos

Diced onion and a sprig of rosemary sauteing in a skillet.

In a medium size skillet, melt 2 Tbsp salted butter and sauté ½ a diced yellow onion with 1 rosemary sprig over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.

Minced garlic added to diced onion and rosemary in a skillet.

Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Cooked onions, with chopped walnuts, cream cheese, and parsley in a food processor.

Remove the rosemary leaves from the sprig and discard the stem. Add the rosemary leaves, cooked onions, garlic, and butter from the pan to a food processor on top of 1 tsp fresh minced parsley (reserve a pinch for garnishing), 2 Tbsp crushed walnuts, 1 8oz package of cream cheese, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper.

Pulse in food processor until combined but still chunky.

Stuffed mushroom filling with parmesan, sun dried tomatoes and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl.

Fold in ½ cup breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan, and 3 Tbsp minced sun dried tomatoes.

Mushroom caps on a baking sheet with a spoon scooping out the insides for stuffing.

Clean 16 oz of fresh button mushrooms with a dry towel to remove any dirt. Remove stems and use a spoon to scoop out the gills of the mushrooms. Discard the gills and stuff mushrooms gently with a spoon so they are overflowing.

Stuffed mushrooms on a baking sheet with a spoon drizzling oil over.

Drizzle with 1 Tbsp reserved sun dried tomato oil and rub the bottom of each mushroom in any oil that is leftover or has dripped onto your baking sheet.*

Freshly baked stuffed mushrooms on a baking sheet.

Bake the mushrooms in 400 degree oven on a lightly greased, parchment-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes. When done, simply garnish with the reserved pinch of minced parsley and a crank of salt and pepper on top! Enjoy.

I love serving these easy stuffed mushrooms at parties and gatherings. They’re quick to prepare, budget-friendly, and always disappear quickly!

The post Stuffed Mushrooms appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

Cherry Blondies

Whenever I’m craving something sweet, but I’m sick of the same old same old, I whip up a batch of these fudgy, chewy, fragrant Cherry Blondies! The creamy white chocolate, tart cherries, and crunchy almonds make this recipe stand out. This is not your typical blondie! I don’t use almond extract too often, but pairing its flavor with cherries and white chocolate is just a no-brainer to me. (But a little goes a long way, so use it sparingly!)

Easy Recipe for Cherry Blondies

Blondies are like brownies, just without the cocoa. Instead, they’re made with brown sugar and vanilla, and have the BEST buttery flavor and chewy texture.

For these cherry blondies, I mix in canned cherry pie filling (it adds a sweet-tart cherry flavor without a lot of fuss or cost), slivered almonds, and white chocolate chips. I also brown the butter first to bring out a nutty, almost toffee-like richness that’s totally worth the extra few minutes. A mix of brown and white sugar strikes the perfect balance of moisture and structure, while a splash of almond extract adds a frangipane-style flavor. Bake them once, and you’ll see why I keep coming back to this combo. 😋

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Cherry Blondies

These easy Cherry Blondies are loaded with white chocolate, almonds, and cherry pie filling for a sweet treat that’s simple to make and hard to resist.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.82 recipe / $0.64 serving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Chill Time 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings slices

Calories 429kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

8×8” Baking Dish
Parchment Paper
3 Mixing Bowls
Sauce Pan
Hand Mixer

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour $0.28
½ tsp baking powder $0.02
¼ tsp salt $0.01
1 large egg $0.29
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.47
½ tsp almond extract $0.15
½ cup cherry pie filling $0.73*
1½ sticks salted butter cut into cubes, $1.48
½ cup granulated sugar $0.19
1 cup brown sugar $0.91
¼ cup white chocolate chips $0.42
¼ cup slivered almonds $0.87

Instructions

Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350℉.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and cherry pie filling. Mix together and set aside.
Cube the butter and melt over medium heat until frothy, whisking once in a while to make sure the milk solids don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Once butter is browned, it will have a nutty aroma and darken in color. (Babysit it! Don’t let it burn!) Remove from heat.
Combine browned butter with granulated and brown sugar.
Mix with a hand mixer on low until combined. Then, add the wet cherry mixture and continue to mix until combined.
Finally, gently mix in the dry flour mixture little by little until a batter forms.
Fold in white chocolate and almond slivers.
Transfer batter to greased and line baking dish and add some extra white chocolate and almonds on top, if you have them.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting. The interior may still be a little gooey. These are chewier than your typical brownie! Enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*The ingredients in a can of cherry pie filling are pretty simple, but I have found the Duncan Hines Comstock brand “Simply Cherry” in a can to have fewer ingredients and no added coloring, so if you see it next to the regular cherry pie filling, you may want to spring for that can instead. You could try making these with fresh cherries, which I skipped because I couldn’t find any at my local grocery store, just make sure you pit them first!

Nutrition

how to make Cherry Blondies step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper. Set this aside for now.

Flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients: Add 1¾ cups flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Set this aside.

Cherry pie filling, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients: In a different mixing bowl, combine 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp almond extract, and ½ cup of cherry pie filling. Set this aside for now as well.

Brown the butter: Add 1½ sticks of cubed salted butter to a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter until frothy, being sure to whisk it once in a while to avoid the milk solids from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. Babysit it, and don’t let it burn! It typically takes about 5-8 minutes for butter to brown.

When the butter is browned, it’ll smell nutty and be darker in color. There will also be flecks of brown throughout (those are toasted milk solids, and they’re full of flavor). Remove it from the heat once done.

Brown and white sugar added to a bowl of browned butter.

Make the batter: Pour the browned butter into a mixing bowl and add ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar.

The wet ingredients for cherry blondies added to the creamed butter and sugar.

Use a hand mixer on low to combine the browned butter and sugars. Once mixed, add the wet cherry pie filling mixture and keep mixing until thoroughly combined.

Dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Now, gently fold in the dry flour mixture a little at a time until a thick batter forms.

Slivered almonds added to the batter for cherry blondies.

Finally, fold in ¼ cup white chocolate chips and ¼ cup slivered almonds.

The batter for cherry blondies in a lined baking dish.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. If you have any extra, top the batter with a few white chocolate chips and slivered almonds to make it look extra pretty.

Finished homemade cherry blondies in a baking dish.

Bake: Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. They’re done once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let your homemade cherry blondies cool for 20 minutes before cutting for the best results. They may still be a little gooey! They’re definitely chewier than your average brownie but just as delicious. Enjoy!

Overhead view of a baking dish of cherry blondies with one missing.

Tips for Browning Butter

I brown the butter in this cherry dessert recipe because it gives the blondies the most amazing, deep, nutty flavor that plain melted butter can’t match. You could skip this step and just melt it, but it definitely wouldn’t taste the same.

It’s honestly so easy to brown butter, and only takes about 5-8 minutes from start to finish! Here’s how to do it right (we also have a step-by-step breakdown with photos on how to brown butter you can check out, too!):

Use a light-colored pan if you have one. It makes it easier to see the color change.
Watch it closely. Browning happens fast, and it can burn before you know it. Stay nearby and use medium heat.
It’ll start to froth. That’s normal. Just keep gently stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Look for brown flecks. Those are the milk solids toasting, which is exactly what you want.
Pull it off the heat right away. As soon as it smells nutty and the color deepens, about 5 minutes, take it off the heat! It’s ready to use.

You can even make a big batch of browned butter and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and use it in future recipes. It’s obviously delicious in my cherry blondies recipe, but it’s also amazing tossed with plain pasta, drizzled over roasted veggies, or mixed into oatmeal.

Line your pan with parchment paper. It makes it way easier to lift the blondies out and slice them cleanly once they’ve cooled.
Let them cool in the pan. As good as they smell fresh out of the oven, I let my blondies cool for at least 20 minutes to help them set up properly. They’ll slice neater, and the texture will be just right.
Check for doneness with a toothpick. You’re looking for a mostly clean toothpick when inserted into your white chocolate cherry blondies. If you hit a cherry or a melty white chocolate chip, it might smear a bit, so try a second spot! Don’t forget, they may still be a little gooey on the inside rather than cakey.

Storage Instructions

Personally, I enjoy these cherry pie blondies cold! I like to keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and grab one whenever I need a sweet pick-me-up. They’ll be good for up to 3-4 days when stored this way. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.