These Gouda and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms, made with your basic white button mushroom, are a hearty, crowd-pleasing party appetizer. Stuff them ahead and bake them when ready. Your guests won't be able to have just one!

Photography Credit: Nick Evans

Stuffed mushrooms are one of the first things I ever learned to cook as a budding home cook. They seem fancy but are actually quite approachable and endlessly flexible. Over the years I’ve made them every which way, from basic to crazy.

This version falls somewhere in the middle. There’s nothing too adventurous about the stuffing, but the gouda cheese is a definite upgrade from cheddar or parmesan and melts beautifully in the mushrooms.

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THE BEST MUSHROOMS TO USE FOR STUFFED MUSHROOMS

When it comes to stuffed mushrooms, one element I don’t recommend upgrading is the actual mushroom itself. I use white button mushrooms. They are readily available, easy to prepare, and are the perfect size and texture for a stuffed mushroom.

Don’t overthink this one. Just get the basic mushroom and you’ll be in good shape.

TIPS FOR MAKING STUFFED MUSHROOMS

For truly delicious stuffed mushrooms, follow these tips:

Use the mushroom stems in the filling. The most important tip for stuffed mushrooms, in my opinion, is to use the stems that you remove from each mushroom in the filling. Dice the stem pieces, and then cook them with the other filling ingredients before stuffing it all back into the mushroom. Cook the stuffing ingredients in the bacon grease. After you’ve cooked your bacon, cook the mushroom stems and onions for the stuffing in the leftover bacon grease. It gives them an amazing flavor. Stir in the gouda off the heat. Be sure to stir in the gouda off the heat after the filling has cooked or it will break apart. Be generous with the stuffing! When you are ready to actually stuff the mushrooms, go big! You will have a lot of filling and you might think that it won’t all fit back in your mushrooms. Make it fit! Pile it high and pack it in. The mushrooms should be almost-overflowing when you are done.

SUGGESTIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR STUFFED MUSHROOMS

If you don’t have gouda cheese, you could substitute parmesan cheese, which is more traditional. If you can’t find button mushrooms (it happens!), try cremini mushrooms, or you could add the stuffing to large Portobello mushrooms and then slice them up after baking!

MAKE-AHEAD AND STORAGE TIPS FOR STUFFED MUSHROOMS

These are a perfect make-ahead warm appetizer. The whole thing can be made in advance including the final baking step. After they’re cooked they will keep well in the fridge for a few days. Right before serving, pop them in the oven again for 8 to 10 minutes until they are warmed through, and they’ll be as good as they were on Day One.

You can also reheat them in the microwave, but they will get a bit soggy and lose some of the crispy crust on top.

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