Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Easy gooey, cheesy stuffed mushrooms filled with cheese, scallions, and crab and baked until golden and sizzling!
Looking for more summer seafood appetizers? Here are some refreshing Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Bites!
For another mushroom-heavy appetizer, try this Springtime Mushroom and Leek Galette! Want another summer appetizer? Try these Low-Carb Eggplant and Tomato Pizzas!
TL;DR
- Wash 12 mushrooms and pat dry.
- Remove the stems so each mushroom has a cavity.
- Coat in oil and place upside down on a baking sheet.
- In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar, paprika, crab, bread crumbs, and scallions.
- Spoon filling into the cavity of each mushroom. Top with bread crumbs and a bit more cheddar.
- Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes
- Serve while warm!
When I was 2, my mother once walked into my room in the morning to find me bouncing up and down in my crib with excitement. When she asked what I’d like to do that day, I apparently exclaimed “Let’s go to Dillard’s!” (My baby-accent made it sound more like “Dee-yards.”)
Mother was so shocked, of course, that she actually took me to the local Dillard’s department store. And this might be the first instance that baby-me learned the phrase “be careful what you wish for.”
What does this story have to do with stuffed mushrooms? Not much. Except to prove I was a capricious whimsical child who often regretted her big mouth. (Come to think of it, that’s probably why I’m an introvert now.)
But a few years later I still hadn’t learned my lesson and when mom picked me up from kindergarten and asked what I wanted for dinner I firmly announced “Stuffed Mushrooms!” in a voice that brooked no argument. Where I’d gotten the idea to make stuffed mushrooms, I’ve no idea. Fortunately, the mushrooms were a bigger hit than Dillard’s and I’ve kept the recipe. (Or perhaps unfortunately, since now you’ve had to read this most irrelevant story.)
But nonetheless, here is the stuffed mushroom recipe I’ve been crafting since I was a bossy little 5 year old.
How to make Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
There are really only two parts to this recipe: the mushrooms and the filling.
The Mushrooms
You can use a variety of mushrooms for this recipe. I prefer either baby portobello mushrooms or white button mushrooms since they are perfect for individual single-bite snacking. You can serve them at parties without plates for that exact reason.
But if you want to make slightly larger appetizers for a sit-down dinner, large portobello mushrooms work as well. You’ll make half as many with this recipe to plan accordingly.
Overall, the size of the mushroom doesn’t matter too much as long as they’re consistent. (If you’re using large portobello mushrooms, you’ll want to increase the cooking time about 5-7 minutes.)
The Filling
One of the easiest fillings I’ve ever made. (It had to be for kindergarten-me!)
If it’s too easy, you can make it harder for yourself. (There’s always someone.) Try say, baking the bread, drying it out, and blending it up for bread crumbs. Then I suppose you could milk a cow and make your own cheese too.
But for the rest of us who buy these ingredients in a store, all you need to do is put them in a bowl and combine them with a fork. (Seriously, you don’t even need to get out your egg beater for this one.) The hardest bit is grating the cheddar and slicing the scallions.
Top with a bit of extra cheddar, bread crumbs, and some dried parsley and you’re ready to eat!
One word of warning…don’t add too much salt! There’s already salt in the cheese and you can very quickly make these too salty.
What to serve with Crab Stuffed Mushrooms?
A light, summery appetizer, these little guys can pair with anything from a heavier Whole Roast Chicken to a full seafood extravaganza with something simple and summery like Pan-Seared Red Snapper and Cilantro Sauce or something elegant like Whole Roast Rainbow Trout!
You could even keep with the mushroom theme and serve them on the side of a Springtime Mushroom Quiche or a Mushroom and Leek Galette.
For a wine pairing with Crab Stuffed Mushrooms try either a heavier Viognier or a bubbly Champagne.
Easy gooey, cheesy stuffed mushrooms filled with cheese, scallions, and crab and baked until golden and sizzling!
- 12 Button or Baby Portobello Mushrooms (or 6 large Portobello Mushrooms)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1 can White or Pink Crab Meat drained
- 1 Scallion sliced
- 4 oz. Cream Cheese softened
- 1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
- 1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese grated
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried Tarragon
- Dash Salt
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Preheat your oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking sheet with tin foil.
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Remove the stems from your mushrooms.
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Toss mushrooms in olive oil. Set upside down on the baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart.
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In a small sauté pan, combine 1 tsp of butter, your minced garlic clove, and your bread crumbs. Sauté over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until the fat has been absorbed and the garlic and crumbs are golden and aromatic.
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In a bowl, combine the canned (and drained) crab meat, softened cream cheese, minced garlic, sliced scallions, grated cheddar, bread crumbs, tarragon, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix with a fork until well combined.
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Spoon the cream cheese mixture into each mushroom, making sure to fill the cavity. For button or baby bella mushrooms, use about 3 tbsp per mushroom. Larger mushrooms can take up to 1/4 cup each. It's okay if the topping is heaped up on top!
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Top with a bit of extra grated cheddar and bread crumbs.
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Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden and crispy.
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Serve Immediately!
*Makes 12 button/baby bella mushrooms or 6 large portobello mushrooms
When do you put the crab in?
Hi Tracy!
Just mix the crab meat directly into the cream cheese mixture at the same time you add the scallions, spices, and cheese. I’ve edited the recipe to clarify!