Description
These Delicious Stuffed Mushroom Eyeballs are a spooky and tasty Halloween appetizer featuring large mushrooms filled with a savory mixture of cream cheese, sausage, Parmesan, and garlic, topped with olive pupils to give a fun and eerie eyeball effect. Baked to perfection, they make a perfect party snack that is both creamy and flavorful.
Ingredients
Scale
Mushrooms
- 16 large white or cremini mushrooms (cleaned and caps separated)
Stuffing
- 8 oz cream cheese (low-fat options can be used)
- 1/2 cup cooked sausage or crumbled bacon (substitutes like cooked ground turkey or plant-based sausage work well)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Topping and Baking
- 16 small olives (pitted, used for pupils)
- Cooking spray or olive oil (to prevent sticking on the baking sheet)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to get it ready for baking the stuffed mushrooms.
- Prepare Mushrooms: Gently clean the large white or cremini mushrooms and carefully remove the stems. Finely chop the removed stems and set them aside for the stuffing mixture.
- Mix Stuffing: In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped mushroom stems, cream cheese, cooked sausage or crumbled bacon, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well blended to create a creamy filling.
- Fill Mushroom Caps: Take each mushroom cap and generously fill it with the prepared creamy mixture, pressing down slightly to ensure it holds together nicely within the cap.
- Top with Olives: Place the stuffed mushroom caps on a greased baking sheet, then press a small olive into the center of each stuffed mushroom to serve as the ‘eyeball’ pupils.
- Bake: Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake the stuffed mushrooms for 20-25 minutes until they are hot, bubbling, and lightly golden on top.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the mushrooms from the oven and allow them to cool for a minute. Then arrange them on a festive platter ready to serve as a spooky and delicious Halloween appetizer.
Notes
- You can substitute the cooked sausage or bacon with cooked ground turkey or plant-based sausage for a healthier or vegetarian option.
- Low-fat cream cheese can be used to reduce calories without sacrificing much creaminess.
- Ensure mushrooms are cleaned gently to avoid waterlogging them, which can affect baking texture.
- For extra flavor, sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese on top before baking.
- Olives can be black or green, depending on your desired eye color for the spooky effect.
- Cooking spray or olive oil can prevent the mushrooms from sticking to the baking sheet and promote even browning.
