Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

^{This post has been sponsored by Andria's Food Group. All opinions expressed are my own.}

Today we’re preparing one of my favorite starters ever – Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms. Rich, flavorful, and hearty, these mushrooms are a great starter for meaty entrees, or even as a light lunch on their own, being packed with crumbled Sweet Italian Sausage, panko, and a medley of herbs, before being topped with grated cheese. Best of all, this recipe uses only simple ingredients that are readily available at your local grocery store.

To help make today’s Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, we’ve partnered with our long-time friends over at Andria’s Steakhouse, whose Brush On Steak Sauce is easily the star of today’s recipe. This is the key ingredient that helps enhance the meaty goodness of the sausage, while tying together the flavors of the stuffing with the earthy heartiness of the portobello mushrooms. More on this star ingredient below.

Now, without further delay, let’s stuff some mushrooms. Read on for a recipe overview, complete ingredient checklist, tips for preparing these savory delights, and, of course, a printable recipe card.

What to Expect – Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Below, we’ll talk about what this recipe is like in terms of taste and texture, how hard (or easy!) this recipe is to make, and what it pairs well with.

Taste and Texture: The portobellos themselves form the bulk of the recipe, providing earthy, mushroom-y goodness as the foundational flavor of the recipe. We pack the mushroom caps with a mix of fresh basil, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, scallions, and sweet Italian sausage, and a topping of parmesan cheese, tied together by Andria’s Steak Sauce. The end result is a medley of fresh and herbal flavors, mixed with meaty goodness and copious umami depth – all of which pairs beautifully with the portobello base.

Difficulty Level: Moderate. I had a tough time deciding just how to grade this recipe in terms of difficulty. The sausage and herb mixture – the stuffing for the mushroom cap – is definitely not ‘hard’ to bring together, but it does involve a couple of different steps, such as prepping the ingredients, cooking the sausage, and then sautéing the sausage together with the garlic and scallions, before combining it with the panko and parmesan. Then, of course, there’s cleaning the mushrooms, and then baking them, which, if you overcook them, they can become mushy. Yet, none of these steps are inherently ‘difficult,’ it’s more the ‘number’ of them. And, in my opinion, that brings this recipe a notch or two above easy. Thus, while I still say this recipe is approachable for beginner home chefs, I’ll dub it ‘moderate’ in difficulty.

Preparation Process: We start the process off by cleaning the mushrooms and then cooking the sausage. Once the sausage is cooked, we add in our aromatics, followed by herbs, cheese, panko, and Andria’s Steak Sauce. This rounds out the filling. We then stuff the mushrooms and bake them in the oven until tender and the cheese is bubbling. This means a cook time of about twenty minutes. We take them out of the oven, garnish, and then serve.

Pairings for Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

• Beef: Portobello mushrooms and beef are a simply delicious pairing. My go-to would be something like a marinated grilled London broil or a bacon-wrapped filet mignon.
• Side Dishes: The portobello is itself a side for the entrée or meal, so think of pairings that complement both the mushroom and the meal itself. My go-tos are things like roasted potatoes, or garlic bread or a nice risotto.
• Wine: If serving the portobello as an appetizer, my first instinct would be a white wine, such as a chardonnay, zinfandel, or Assyrtiko.

Ingredient Checklist – Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

• 4 Portobello Mushrooms
  • Tip: You want large and firm mushrooms because if the mushrooms are too thin or too soft, they will simply fall apart during baking. Also, the larger the mushroom cap, the more you can stuff it with the sausage mixture.
  • Cleaning Tip: In researching this post, I was surprised to find a mountain of articles warning about the hazards of rinsing mushrooms under running water – that it makes the mushrooms soggy. I found this very odd, since I had ‘always’ washed my mushrooms like this, and never had any problems with excess water or sogginess. As it happens, I’m not alone in noticing the strangeness of this advice and how it contradicts years of my own culinary experience. Mushrooms have a lot of excess dirt, and that dirt needs to be cleaned away. Wash your mushrooms.
  • Substitute: You can use large white mushrooms or baby bellas for a bite-sized take on this recipe.
• 16 ounces Sweet Italian Sausage (casings removed)
  • Tip: While I’m using sweet Italian sausage, this is entirely a matter of preference, as this recipe will work fine with spicy or plain sausage. That said, I do find that Sweet sausage pairs well with the umami mushrooms and herbs.
  • Substitute: And before you ask, yes, the plant-based sausage of your choice works if you’re looking for a meatless option.
• 2 tablespoons Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
  • Note: The parsley brings some bright and fresh notes to the recipe, as well as a little color.
  • Tip: As always, use flat-leaf parsley. Curly leaf parsley is purely a garnish, unless a recipe specifically calls for it.
  • Substitute: If fresh is unavailable, you can use dried parsley (use 2 teaspoons), though fresh is best here.
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped
  • Tip: You want to add the basil just before baking, which will help retain the basil’s aromas. Basically, you want the basil to come into contact with heat for as little time as possible. Conversely, you could shred the basil and add it after baking as part of the garnish. Entirely preference.
  • Substitute: There really isn’t a perfect substitute for the basil. You could use fresh thyme or oregano, but these will provide a deeper, more herbal flavor.
• 2 Scallions, chopped
  • Tip: As always, I suggest using both the white and green parts of the scallion for enhanced aroma and flavor. Conversely, use only the green portion if you want a milder scallion flavor, while also ensuring maximal green color. Basically, if you are using the scallion more for garnish than for flavor, use just the green.
  • Substitute: Shallots or finely chopped red onion can also work.
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • Tip: As always, I do recommend using freshly grated cheese, since pre-grated cheese leaks away flavor, and flavor in this case is moisture.
  • Substitute: The grated cheese of your choice will work just fine. You could also use a sprinkle of crumbled feta for added brine and creaminess.
• 2 cloves of Garlic, grated
  • Tip: We grate the garlic to ensure maximal release of juices and aromatics, and a more even distribution throughout the stuffing.
  • Substitute: While there is no perfect replacement for fresh, you can use about half a teaspoon of garlic powder in a pinch.

• 4 tablespoons Andria’s Steak Sauce, divided
  • Tip: Use 2 tablespoons in the filling and the rest for drizzling before or after baking.
  • Note: The secret ingredient in today’s Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms is Andria’s Brush On Steak Sauce, which beautifully complements the earthy flavors of the mushrooms and the meatiness of the sausage. However, no matter what you’re making, Andria's Steak Sauce is a great way to sauce-up your next meal. From steaks to burgers, to vegetables and salads, to fish and poultry, this sauce adds the perfect touch. With its unique blend of onions and parsnips, along with turnips, carrots, and parsley, this sauce is richly textured and has wonderful depth, adding flavor and complexity to any meal. It's also easy to use, so you can get creative with your recipes. Try Andria's Steak Sauce today, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
  • Why You’ll Love It: Look, I’ve been partnering with Andria’s Steakhouse since the end of 2022, and ‘Gourmet’ is the operative word in what I do. Heck, it’s in our name. And the truth of the matter is that Andria’s line of sauces and salad dressing really do steal every recipe they’re a part of. For our Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, the Steak Sauce helps tie the flavors together, complementing the meaty portobello in the same way it would a cut of meat. So, whether your grilling steaks or slow roasting a pork butt, this Steak Sauce has something to offer. So up your culinary game and grab a bottle. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
• ¼ cup Plain Panko Bread Crumbs
  • Tip: Helps bind the mixture and adds light texture.
  • Substitute: Regular breadcrumbs or crushed crackers. For gluten-free, use GF breadcrumbs.
• Olive Oil, for drizzling
  • Tip: A light drizzle before and after baking enhances browning and adds richness.
  • Substitute: Avocado oil or melted butter for a different flavor.

Tips for Making Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Here is a step-by-step guide, with tips, for preparing the mushrooms. For a complete instruction list, see the printable recipe card below.

1. Clean and Destem Mushrooms: Mushrooms in general have a lot of excess dirt, and that means you need to rinse them under cold water to remove the dirt – or, if you prefer, rub them down with a damp paper towel. After cleaning, it’s time to remove the stem. Nothing fancy here, just snap the stem off at the base.
2. Cook the Sausage: We want to cook the sausage through completely – this is important because we cannot finish cooking them in the oven, otherwise we’ll overcook the mushrooms. Not fun. To do this, we simply open the sausages up into a dry cast-iron skillet and cook them that way over medium heat. While the sausages cook, use a wooden spoon to break them apart and keep tossing them so that they don’t stick. Once the sausage is done cooking, we add in our garlic and chopped scallions, and cook them together for a few minutes.
3. Prepping the Filling: Next, we turn off the heat and add in the rest of the ingredients for the filling to the sausage and garlic, including Andria’s Steak Sauce, and stir. We want the mixture to be well-combined and slightly moist, though not soggy.
4. Stuffing and Baking: Set your oven to 350°F, and while it preheats, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I really do suggest parchment for this, because if the mushrooms stick at all, they risk falling apart, and nothing prevents sticking better than parchment paper. From there, arrange the mushrooms on the parchment paper, leaving about a half-inch of space between each. From there, we generously fill each cap with the sausage stuffing mixture and then top with extra parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. We bake for about twenty minutes, or until the cheese becomes golden, and we’re done.
5. Garnish and Serve: Once out of the oven, finish the mushrooms with a garnish of chopped parsley, scallions, and basil for added color, along with a final sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and then serve.

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And that’s our Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Andria’s Brush On Steak Sauce. If you enjoyed today’s recipe or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you!

Happy Cooking!

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