The Ultimate Show-Stopping Stuffed Mushroom Stuffing

Are you ready to bring the undisputed, show-stopping star to your holiday table this year? Why choose between a classic, savory sausage and bread stuffing or delicious, cheesy stuffed mushrooms when you can have both in one incredible, crowd-pleasing casserole? This amazing Stuffed Mushroom Stuffing is the ultimate holiday side dish that is guaranteed to impress your guests and have everyone asking for the recipe.

This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a brilliant fusion of two timeless comfort food classics. We start by creating a rich, moist, and incredibly flavorful sausage and mushroom bread stuffing. Then, we take it to the next level by topping the entire casserole with beautiful, individual mushroom caps, each one filled with more stuffing and crowned with a crispy, golden-brown Parmesan and panko crust. It’s a dish that is as stunning to look at as it is delicious to eat.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Holiday Side Dish Mash-Up

What makes this Stuffed Mushroom Stuffing a true masterpiece is its clever “two-in-one” construction and its incredible depth of flavor. This recipe guides you through creating a perfectly moist, from-scratch bread stuffing that serves as both the main casserole and the delicious filling for the mushroom cap topping. It’s a fantastic make-ahead dish that takes the best parts of two beloved holiday staples and combines them into one unforgettable side.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	2 hours
Active Prep Time	35 minutes
Difficulty Level	Intermediate
Servings	10-12

The Essential Ingredients for This Showstopper

This recipe uses a handful of classic, high-quality ingredients to build its deep, savory flavor.

• The Stuffing Base: This is the hearty, flavorful foundation of our dish.
  • Crusty Day-Old White Bread: It is absolutely crucial to use dry, day-old bread. Fresh, soft bread will turn into a soggy, mushy paste. Dry bread cubes have the perfect structure to absorb all the delicious broth and flavors while still maintaining some of their texture.
  • Sweet Italian Sausage: A pound of bulk sweet Italian sausage provides a wonderful, savory, and slightly sweet flavor base. The rendered fat from the sausage is also used to sauté the vegetables, adding another layer of incredible flavor.
• The Vegetables & Aromatics:
  • White Mushrooms: We use a whole pound of mushrooms, which add a deep, earthy, umami flavor that is a classic pairing with sausage.
  • Red Bell Pepper & Scallions: These add a lovely sweetness, a mild oniony bite, and beautiful flecks of color throughout the stuffing.
• The Crispy Topping: This is what gives the stuffed mushrooms their irresistible crunch.
  • Panko Breadcrumbs: Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs are essential for the ultimate crispy, crunchy topping. They are flakier and lighter than regular breadcrumbs and toast to a perfect golden brown.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds a sharp, salty, and nutty flavor to the topping and helps it to become beautifully crisp and golden.

Step-by-Step to the Most Impressive Stuffing Ever

This recipe is a fun and rewarding project with a few distinct parts. Follow these steps for a perfect, show-stopping result.

Part 1: Prepare the Mushrooms and the Savory Base

Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Generously butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Step 2: Prepare your mushrooms. Carefully clean them by wiping them with a damp paper towel. Pick out the 12 largest mushrooms from the pound. Gently remove their stems and set these 12 beautiful mushroom caps aside for our topping. Finely chop the stems you just removed. Slice all the remaining mushrooms.

Step 3: Heat a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter is melted, add the sausage. Cook, using a wooden spoon to break it up into small crumbles, until it is nicely browned, which should take about 4 minutes.

Step 4: Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter to the pot. Once it’s melted, add all of your chopped and sliced mushrooms, the diced bell pepper, the white parts of the scallions, the chopped fresh thyme, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes, until all the vegetables have softened.

Part 2: Assemble the Main Stuffing

Step 1: Add the 2 cups of chicken or turkey broth to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.

Step 2: Remove the pot from the heat. Add the 16 cups of cubed, day-old bread and toss everything together well, ensuring that all the bread is evenly moistened by the broth and the vegetable mixture.

Step 3: Stir in 3/4 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese, the green parts of the scallions, and the 1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley.

Step 4: Now, remove about 1 1/2 cups of this stuffing mixture and place it on a cutting board. Pour the 2 beaten eggs into the remaining stuffing in the Dutch oven and mix everything together well.

Step 5: Transfer the main stuffing mixture from the Dutch oven to your prepared 9×13-inch baking dish and spread it into an even layer.

Part 3: Prepare and Assemble the Stuffed Mushroom Topping

Step 1: In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup of panko, the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the chopped fresh parsley.

Step 2: Finely chop the 1 1/2 cups of stuffing that you set aside on the cutting board. This finer texture is perfect for stuffing into the mushroom caps. Divide this mixture into 12 equal portions.

Step 3: In a medium bowl, toss the 12 reserved mushroom caps with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Step 4: Take one portion of the finely chopped stuffing and press it firmly into each mushroom cap, packing it gently to create a nice, mounded top.

Step 5: Dip the stuffed top of each mushroom into the panko and Parmesan mixture to coat it. Arrange the stuffed mushrooms in a neat, 3-by-4 grid right on top of the stuffing in the baking dish.

Step 6: Sprinkle any leftover panko mixture over the tops of the mushrooms. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into very small pieces and dot them over the top of both the mushrooms and the surrounding stuffing.

Part 4: Bake to Golden, Bubbly Perfection

Step 1: Spray a large piece of aluminum foil generously with cooking spray. Cover the baking dish with the foil, spray-side down. Tent the foil slightly so that it doesn’t touch the tops of the mushrooms.

Step 2: Bake the covered casserole for about 35 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender.

Step 3: Carefully remove the foil and return the dish to the oven. Continue to bake, uncovered, for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the stuffing and the mushroom topping are a beautiful, deep golden brown and crisp.

Step 4: Let the finished stuffing cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. This allows it to set up slightly. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley just before you bring it to the table.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This Stuffed Mushroom Stuffing is the absolute perfect make-ahead side dish for a stress-free holiday.

• Make-Ahead: This casserole is a dream to prep in advance! You can fully assemble the entire dish (without the final dotting of butter), cover it tightly with foil, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you are ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then dot it with butter and bake as directed. You may need to add 10-15 minutes to the covered baking time.
• Storage: Store any leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Reheating: The best way to reheat the stuffing and keep the topping crispy is in a 350°F oven, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until it is heated through.

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Creative Recipe Variations

This show-stopping stuffing is a wonderful base for your own delicious and creative twists.

1. Make it Vegetarian: For a delicious and hearty vegetarian version, simply omit the sausage. You will want to increase the amount of mushrooms to 1 1/2 pounds and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Start by sautéing the mushrooms and vegetables in about 4-5 tablespoons of butter or olive oil.
2. Use a Different Bread: For a different texture and flavor, you can use a mix of breads. A combination of crusty white bread and a savory cornbread would be a fantastic, classic Southern-style twist.
3. Add a Different Meat or Cheese: For a different flavor profile, you could substitute the sweet Italian sausage with a spicy Italian sausage or even a good quality breakfast sausage. For a smokier cheese flavor, you could swap the Parmesan with a smoked Gruyère or Gouda.

Enjoy Your New Holiday Showstopper!

You’ve just created a truly special side dish that is a perfect fusion of two of the most beloved holiday classics. This Stuffed Mushroom Stuffing is a rich, savory, and incredibly satisfying casserole that is guaranteed to be the most talked-about dish on your Thanksgiving table. It’s a rewarding and impressive recipe that will surely become a new family tradition.

We hope you and your loved ones enjoy every last, delicious bite!

If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who is looking for a new holiday showstopper!

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