These bite-sized vegetarian treats make perfect party appetizers!
Sometimes, it’s hard to figure out what to bring to a potluck. I never know who’s only eating Keto-friendly food, who’s on a gluten-free diet, and which of my friends aren’t eating meat at the moment. It really makes it difficult to prepare tailgate food that everyone will enjoy! I wanted to come up with a recipe that everyone would love – no matter which diet plan they’re on. I have to say, I kind of nailed it with these vegetarian stuffed Mushroom Parmesan Bites.
I’ve seen mushroom bites before that are wrapped in pizza crust or refrigerated dinner rolls. And, I’ve definitely seen a ton of recipes for stuffed mushrooms that use sausage to add a ton of flavor. But, I’ve never seen a recipe like these Mushroom Parmesan Bites. These tasty treats are just cheese, garlic, and more cheese stuffed inside of button mushrooms. You would think that this recipe needs more ingredients to taste great, but trust me: After you have one of these bite-sized goodies, you’ll be hooked!
The Perfect Snack Or Bite-Sized Appetizer
These Mushroom Parmesan Bites make a perfect snack between meals. They’re basically homemade 100-calorie treats (okay, 117 calories, but close enough, right?). Each bite is super juicy and cheesy, satisfying your craving for a salty, savory snack.
They’re also a crowd-pleaser, making them ideal for appetizers at a dinner party or any potluck event where you have to bring something to share. I even brought these as tailgate food for a football party one year. Even the guys were gobbling them up! No one seemed to notice that they’re vegetarian (and, healthy to boot).
The Secret To Their Success
There are two secrets to making these stuffed Mushroom Parmesan Bites a complete success. First, tossing the breadcrumbs with olive oil hydrates the crumbs. Instead of having a dry, chalky mess on top of your mushrooms, you’ll have a crunchy, moist topping. You can totally use gluten-free bread for this step if you or your friends aren’t eating grains, or you can skip it altogether. Without the breadcrumbs, these bites will be missing that crunchy element, but they’ll still taste fantastic.
The second secret is the stuffing itself. First, you want to make sure that cream cheese is room temperature. If it’s not easy to whip it up with the garlic and Parmesan cheese, you’ll definitely give yourself a headache. I’ll give you a little tip: If you forgot to pull out the cream cheese in enough time to bring it to room temperature, pop it into the microwave for a few seconds until it’s soft and easier to manage.
Once the filling is all mixed up, you really want to pack it into each mushroom cap. Remember that this filling is where most of the dish’s flavor resides, so you want to make sure each mushroom gets a full teaspoon! If your mushroom is small, you can use a small spoon to carefully carve out the extra room once you’ve removed the stem. But, don’t be afraid to really push the filling in – one teaspoon should fit in almost any sized mushroom cap.
From there, all you need to do is bake ’em up for 15 to 20 minutes until they’re golden brown and delicious. They reheat exceptionally well, too, so feel free to make a large batch and reheat them once you get to the party. If you don’t feel like reheating them, that’s okay! We think they taste pretty good straight out of the refrigerator.
Mushroom Parmesan Bites
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole button mushrooms bite-sized, washed and stems removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese fat-free
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup cream cheese fat-free
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Brush the mushrooms with one tablespoon of the olive oil and place on the baking sheet.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the parmesan, garlic, and cream cheese. Mix until smooth. Place about 1 teaspoon of the cheese filling into each mushroom. In a second mixing bowl, combine the remaining olive oil and the panko together. Top each of the filled mushrooms with the panko topping.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
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What is the oven temperature for this recipe? Thank you.
Oven temp is 375 – thanks for catching that missing information!
Grated or shredded parmesan?
Terry, Either will work. 🙂
Is there anyway to print out the recipe and have the picture included in the printout? It looks very good!
Hi Kay,
Unfortunately there isn’t a way to print the photos in the printer-friendly version of the recipe. However, you can print the entire page using your browser’s print function, rather than clicking the “print” link on the recipe, and it should include the photos. Hope this helps! Have a great day!