These delicious Christmas stuffed mushrooms with walnuts, cranberries and goat's cheese make a perfect vegetarian alternative on Christmas Day.
20 years ago, being the only vegetarian at the Christmas dinner table meant loading your plate with veggies and roast potatoes (as long as they weren't cooked in goose fat!) and forgoing anything resembling the rich main meater-eaters enjoyed.
These days, vegetarian alternatives have come on in leaps and bounds, so when the festive season rolls around, there's a wide array of sausages, pies and roast meat alternatives to choose from. But that said, in my opinion nothing you can get from a pack rivals the flavour and texture of a homemade main, and that's what these stuffed mushrooms are all about.
They're designed to make any vegetarian at your table feel like they've lucked out! No sad veggie sausage for them! They'll be able to enjoy gorgeously flavourful mushrooms with a perfect balance of crispy, smooth, sweet and mild festive flavours.
The filling is made by sweating down finely chopped mushrooms and shallots in butter, before adding plump cranberries, creamy walnuts, floral thyme and a handful of breadcrumbs.
You'll pile the delicious filling into your lightly oiled mushrooms before topping with tangy, creamy goat's cheese and finishing with a good mill of black pepper.
Once prepared, these delicious mushrooms take just 15 minutes to cook. The tops of the mushroom filling turn crisp, while the insides stay moist and rich and the outer mushroom itself becomes tender and juicy.
These Christmas stuffed mushrooms are an absolute joy to eat. Here's how to make them.
Ingredients
- 60 g (2.1 oz) dried cranberries roughly chopped
- 50 g (1.8 oz) butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil for drizzling
- 10 jumbo mushrooms
- 4 shallots finely chopped
- 100 g (3.5 oz) walnuts
- 3 thyme sprigs leaves only
- 50 g (1.8 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
- 125 g (4.4 oz) soft goat's cheese vegetarian if required
- pinch salt and pepper to taste
- spray oil
Equipment
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F (180C/355F fan)
Put the cranberries in a heat-safe bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak.
Arrange 8 of the mushrooms on a greased baking tray.
Pull the stalks out and chop them finely, along with two remaining mushrooms.
Put the butter and oil in a large frying pan.
Melt over a medium-high heat.
Add the finely chopped mushrooms and shallots.
Fry for 5 minutes until soft, stirring regularly. Take the pan off the heat
Drain the cranberries and add to the mix along with the finely chopped walnuts, thyme, breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Mix well. Taste and season further, if needed. Don't forget that your goat's cheese will bring some saltiness.
Retrieve your tray of mushrooms and spritz with spray oil.
Spoon your filling into the mushrooms - you may have a little spare.
Crumble in the goats cheese evenly on top of the mushrooms.
Season with a little more salt and pepper and give a final spritz of oil.
Bake for 15 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the top of the filling a little crisp.
Serve with all the trimmings and enjoy! They're gorgeous at anytime leading up to the big day. I love them with mash, green veg and gravy.
Everyone will love these festive stuffed mushrooms, whether they're vegetarian or not!
How about serving them in a bowl to the middle of the table and letting people serve themselves? Just make sure they know to leave some for the vegetarians!
The combination of the tart cranberries, earthy mushrooms and creamy goat's cheese with the sweet walnuts, peppery thyme and rich onions is just divine.
Are you tempted to try these at home? How will you serve yours?
Print this Christmas stuffed mushrooms recipe
Christmas stuffed mushrooms
Ingredients
- 60 g (2.1 oz) dried cranberries roughly chopped
- 50 g (1.8 oz) butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil for drizzling
- 10 jumbo mushrooms
- 4 shallots finely chopped
- 100 g (3.5 oz) walnuts
- 3 thyme sprigs leaves only
- 50 g (1.8 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
- 125 g (4.4 oz) soft goat's cheese vegetarian if required
- pinch salt and pepper to taste
- spray oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/390F (180C/355F fan)
- Put the cranberries in a heat-safe bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak.
- Arrange 8 of the mushrooms on a greased baking tray. Pull the stalks out and chop them finely, along with two remaining mushrooms.
- Melt the butter and oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
- Add the finely chopped mushrooms and shallots. Fry for 5 minutes until soft, stirring regularly. Take the pan off the heat
- Drain the cranberries and add to the mix along with the finely chopped walnuts, thyme, breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Mix well. Taste and season further, if needed. Don't forget that your goat's cheese will bring some saltiness.
- Retrieve your tray of mushrooms and spritz with spray oil.
- Spoon your filling into the mushrooms - you may have a little spare.
- Crumble in the goats cheese evenly on top of the mushrooms.
- Season with a little more salt and pepper and give a final spritz of oil.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the top of the filling a little crisp.
- Serve with all the trimmings.
Nutrition
This recipe is adapted and altered from one originally supplied by Aunt Bessies.
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Emma Smith says
These look lovely and I think they'd make a great side dish too. For a vegan alternative the butter is easy to substitute but any ideas on what to use instead of the cheese? x
Emily Leary says
Yes, they would. Hmm, vegan cream cheese might work as a sub for goats cheese. The brands I've tried tend to be a little sweet and soft though, so maybe blitz it with some garlic powder and some raw pine nuts to give it more texture and flavour.
Emma Smith says
Thanks Emily. I've never tried vegan cream cheese. I feel quite out of my depth with vegan cooking! Need to find something for visiting vegan family member over Xmas. This could be just the thing.
Jen says
This really does sound gorgeous; love mushrooms and pine nuts etc, and it would make a lovely side dish to many meals. Yum!
Maria @ Feisty Tapas says
I may try these: I'd love them but husband is a bit weird (I'm not sure how he coped as a vegetarian for over 20 years to be honest!)
Emily Leary says
My husband is allergic to mushrooms!
Sinead Safford says
Oh my these sound amazing! I may try these out for my Christmas dinner, as the only vegetarian in the house I have been trying to find something delicious for myself and I don't think I could top these! They sound perfect! x
Jen @mymummyspennies says
They were so nice! I can't wait to make them again!
HELEN says
wow that was quick!!
they did look lovely & I'm definitely going to be making some, and the stuffed yorkshires!
Great to finally meet you today too!
x