Bacon-Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

How to level-up this classic

Stuffed mushrooms are the perfect appetizer or side dish because they are easy to eat, pack a punch with flavor, and offer an excellent mechanism for stuffing. The problem is that they are often a soggy mess, with overcooked mushrooms and lackluster filling.

In this recipe, we perfect the stuffed mushroom by introducing three techniques:

1. Pre-roast the mushrooms to parcook them and release some moisture.

2. Use the mushroom liqueur in the stuffing to amplify that umami-like flavor.

3. Introduce crispy bacon to add texture to the dish.

Shrimp and bacon is an excellent combo because the sweetness of the shrimp goes great with the rich and smoky flavor of the bacon. It packs a punch in a small bite, precisely what you want with a one or two-bite appetizer or side.

Ingredients:

1 lb white or baby bella mushrooms whole (about 30-40 mushrooms)

6 oz bacon chopped

1/2 lb 31-40 shrimp peeled and deveined shell off - 8 oz of any shrimp will do fine

1 egg beaten

6 oz cottage cheese

1 tablespoon fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (or your favorite cheese)

1 tablespoon hot sauce (any hot sauce you like)

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari (I also like coco aminos if you have them)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly cracked pepper

1 tablespoon rendered bacon fat

1 cup panko bread crumb

1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme (or your favorite herb)

Steps:

1. Cleaning your mushrooms - Pull the stems out of your mushrooms and rinse both in warm running water. The water will NOT soak into the mushroom, so don’t worry about that. Set the mushroom stems aside for a stock or sauce (they can keep in the fridge for about 5 days covered). Strain and dry the mushrooms and on a sheet pan. Then toss the shrimp and mushrooms in butter, ghee or beef tallow. Roast in a 350F oven for 15 minutes with the bottom part of the mushroom facing up. The liquid from the mushrooms will pool in this space as they cook and we will use that for the stuffing mix.

2. While the mushrooms and shrimp are cooking, slice your bacon and place into a cold pan to render. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook and stir until bacon is crispy. When it’s crispy, strain the bacon from the bacon fat (keeping the fat for further use) and set the bacon aside to mix into the stuffing.

3. After the mushrooms and shrimp are cooked and slightly cooled, remove and chop the shrimp. Toss the chopped shrimp into a bowl. Then pour the mushroom liquid from the caps into the stuffing mix as well.

   

4. Add the bacon to the bowl of shrimp, then combine with all of the remaining filling ingredients. You will want this to sit for at least 10 minutes so the bread crumb can soak up some of the moisture from the stuffing. The filling should easily pack into a ball without falling apart. If it’s too wet you can add some more panko. If it’s too dry add another egg, however, based on the recipe it should be perfect.

   

5. Toss the mushroom tops in a touch of the remaining bacon fat and line onto a sheet pan ready to be stuffed and cooked.

   

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6. Pack the stuffing into the mushrooms, pressing down on the filling so it packs high into the mushroom cup. Place the stuffed mushrooms back into a 425F oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top is golden brown and firm.

7. Remove from the oven and place on a serving platter. You can drizzle it with a touch of bacon fat, freshly grated parmesan, and your favorite herb to finish. I like to finish mine with fresh chives or sage.