TL/DR – Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms. This is an easy appetizer or side for dinner. The filling is goat cheese, butter, lemon juice and zest, fresh thyme, salt and pepper, and they are topped with Panko crumbs. –
While not the most attractive things on the planet, these Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms are perfect for dinner or appetizers. They are tangy and buttery and a little bit crispy. Goat cheese loves lemon and thyme. Fresh thyme is great, but 1/2 t of dried thyme can be subbed. Panko crumbs add nice texture.
Start by preheating the oven to 425 F. Make sure to use soft, but not melted, butter. Mash the butter, goat cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper together in a small bowl with a fork. Work the mixture for at least a minute to incorporate all of the lemon juice.
Toss the mushroom caps in some olive oil and set them into the bottom of a pie dish. Stuff each with about 1 – 2 teaspoons of the goat cheese mixture, then spoon 1 t of Panko onto each and press down gently. Sprinkle a bit of additional salt and pepper over the top and roast them at 425 for 15 minutes. Make these right before you plan to serve, as they are better when quite warm. All mushrooms are, if we’re being honest, right?
If you adore goat cheese, try Goat Cheese Chive Cheese Cups for an easy breakfast idea.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 3 T softened unsalted butter
- 4 oz goat cheese
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 2 T fresh thyme, minced
- 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1/8 t pepper
- 1 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 16 oz package baby bella mushrooms, stems removed
- 1/2 c Panko bread crumbs
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
- Step 2 In a small bowl, mash together the first 6 ingredients with a fork, (butter through pepper,) and stir until well incorporated.
- Step 3 Put the mushroom caps in a 9 inch pie plate, drizzle with the olive oil and then toss.
- Step 4 Arrange each cap open-side-up in the pie plate. There may be a bit of overlap, no big deal.
- Step 5 Using a teaspoon, carefully spoon 1 – 2 t of the goat cheese filling into each cap, revisiting at the end and adding more if there is extra filling. Each cap should be filled and slightly mounded.
- Step 6 Carefully spoon Panko crumbs onto each filled mushroom and press down gently with the back of the spoon.
- Step 7 Sprinkle with 1/8 t kosher salt and a bit more pepper.
- Step 8 Bake at 425 F for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy immediately.
