Emma Wilson
Mushrooms and cheese are a match made in culinary heaven. They share a biological affinity, as both depend on microbes to transform the substrate they grow on into delicious food. Mushrooms contain small amounts of protein, including the amino acid glutamate, which gives them a rich, savoury taste known as umami, also found in cheese. When it comes to specific pairings, there are many options. For instance, blue cheese with hen of the woods mushrooms, gorgonzola dolce with black trumpet mushrooms, or halloumi with grilled cremini mushrooms. Mushrooms can also be stuffed with cheese, or baked with a variety of cheeses as a memorable entree or side dish.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cheese stuffed mushrooms recipe | White button or cremini mushrooms, onion, garlic, herbs, breadcrumbs |
| Mushrooms and cheese baked together | Havarti, Fontina, Gruyere, Swiss, Jack, Parmesan, Asiago, or cheese of your choice |
| Mushrooms and cheese on baguette rounds, roasted potatoes, French fries, or chips | Sprinkle with chopped parsley |
| Mushrooms and cheese in pasta or rice | Gorgonzola dolce and black trumpet mushrooms, farfalle |
| Mushrooms and cheese sautéed | Hen of the woods mushrooms, blue cheese sauce, Cantar de Covadonga, Bucherolle |
| Mushrooms and cheese grilled | Portobello, cremini, halloumi |
| Mushrooms and cheese as appetizers | Cheese-stuffed mushrooms, ginger shrimp skewers, smoked salmon dip, bacon-wrapped shrimp, crab cakes |
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What You'll Learn
Cheese-stuffed mushrooms
Cheese and mushrooms are a perfect match. Both have complementary flavours ranging from sweet to meaty to woody. Mushrooms also contain glutamate, the substance responsible for the savoury taste known as umami, which is also present in cheese.
Ingredients:
- White button or cremini mushrooms
- Onion
- Garlic
- Butter
- Fresh rosemary or thyme (or dried herbs)
- Sharp cheddar cheese (or mozzarella, Swiss, Gruyère, feta, goat, or brie)
- Breadcrumbs
Instructions:
- Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel to remove any dirt.
- Pop out the mushroom stems, chop them into small pieces, and cook them with butter, onions, garlic, and herbs for the filling.
- Once the filling has cooled, stir in shredded cheese.
- Toss the mushroom caps with olive oil to prevent them from drying out in the oven.
- Stuff the mushroom caps with the cheesy filling.
- Top the stuffed mushrooms with lightly toasted breadcrumbs.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 15-20 minutes, until soft and melted.
For a gluten-free option, you can use goat cheese, Parmesan, dried parsley, dried thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper for the filling. You can prepare the mushrooms and filling in advance and store them in the fridge until ready to bake and serve warm.
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Mushrooms with melted cheese
Mushrooms and cheese are a perfect pair. Both depend on microbes to transform the substrate they grow on into delicious foods. Mushrooms contain small amounts of protein, including the amino acid glutamate, which gives them a savoury, umami taste that's also found in cheese.
When it comes to mushrooms with melted cheese, there are several ways to go about it. One option is to stuff the mushrooms with cheese and other ingredients and bake them. Here's a simple recipe:
Cheese-stuffed Mushrooms
- Start by cleaning the mushrooms. Use white button or cremini (brown) mushrooms, as these varieties are the perfect size for stuffing. Brush off any dirt with a damp paper towel, or quickly rinse them and pat dry.
- Pop out the mushroom stems, trim any hard ends, and chop the stems into small pieces.
- Cook the chopped mushroom stems with butter, onions, garlic, and herbs such as rosemary, thyme, parsley, or dried herbs. This mixture will serve as the filling.
- Once the filling has cooled, stir in shredded cheese. A sharp cheddar works well, but you can also use mozzarella, Swiss, Gruyère, feta, goat, or brie, or a combination of cheeses.
- Toss the mushroom caps with olive oil to prevent them from drying out in the oven. Then, stuff them with the cheesy filling.
- Top the stuffed mushrooms with lightly toasted breadcrumbs and bake in the oven at 345º F (173º C) for about 15 minutes, until soft and melted.
Another option for mushrooms with melted cheese is to fry the mushrooms and then bake them with grated cheese. This version is often served as an entree with flour tortillas, allowing everyone at the table to make their own tacos or quesadillas:
- Fry the mushrooms in a pan for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until lightly fried.
- Grate a melting cheese, such as cheddar, mozzarella, or Gruyère.
- Preheat the oven to 345º F (173º C). Put the fried mushrooms in a baking dish and cover with the grated cheese.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
- Serve with flour tortillas and, optionally, fried guajillo pepper rings for a spicy kick.
Both of these dishes can be adapted to your taste. You can add bacon, sausage, or vegetables to the stuffed mushrooms, or include chorizo or peppers in the melted cheese version. Enjoy the exquisite flavour of mushrooms and cheese!
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Mushrooms on a grilled cheese sandwich
Mushrooms and cheese are a match made in heaven, and a grilled cheese sandwich is a great way to combine these two ingredients. There are many types of mushrooms and cheese that can be used to make a delicious sandwich, and the process is quite simple.
To start, select your mushrooms. White button or cremini mushrooms are a good choice due to their size and cavity, which is perfect for adding a stuffed filling. Portobello mushrooms are another option, commonly used in grilled sandwiches due to their firm bite.
When preparing the mushrooms, avoid rinsing them with water, as they already contain a lot of water. Instead, use a damp cloth or towel to gently clean and remove any dirt. For stuffed mushrooms, pop out the stems, trim any hard ends, and chop the stems into small pieces. Cook the stems with butter, onions, garlic, and herbs for a tasty filling.
Next, choose your cheese. A single type of cheese can be used, such as sharp cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, Gruyère, feta, goat, or brie. However, using a combination of cheeses can create a more complex and creamy flavour profile. Try mixing a melting cheese like mozzarella, fontina, or taleggio with a stronger variety like aged cheddar, Gruyère, or Parmesan. If you're feeling adventurous, experiment with blue cheese or goat cheese for a unique twist.
To assemble the sandwich, spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place the bread, butter-side down, in a skillet over medium-low heat. Top one slice with your chosen cheese, followed by the cooked mushrooms. Sprinkle with fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, and add any additional ingredients, such as sliced Brie or smoked ham. Cover with the second slice of bread, ensuring the buttered side faces outwards. Fry the sandwich until both sides are golden brown and the cheese is melted and gooey.
Serve your grilled cheese mushroom sandwich with a side of garlic Parmesan fries or cheese and onion crisps for the ultimate comfort food experience. Enjoy the rich, savoury flavours and the delightful combination of mushrooms and cheese!
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Mushrooms with blue cheese sauce
Mushrooms and cheese are a perfect pair. Both depend on microbes to transform the substrate they're growing on into delicious foods. Mushrooms contain small amounts of high-quality protein, including the amino acid glutamate, which gives them their rich, savoury taste, known as umami—a flavour profile they share with cheese.
When it comes to blue cheese, a little goes a long way. It can be overpowering, so you don't want to add too much. However, it can add a luscious texture and a funky kick to a mushroom sauce.
If you're making a mushroom and blue cheese sauce, it's best to use a gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free recipe, as some people have allergies or intolerances to these ingredients. You can make the sauce in a cast-iron skillet, which is a great pan for cooking steak.
Here's a recipe for a mushroom and blue cheese sauce that you can serve with steak, grilled vegetables, or pasta:
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season your steak with salt and pepper.
- Add the steak to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Transfer to the oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak.
- Carefully remove the steak from the skillet.
- Chop the mushrooms and crumble the blue cheese.
- Add the mushrooms and blue cheese to the skillet and cook until softened.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of broth or water.
- If the sauce is too thin, cook on low heat for a little longer or add more cheese.
You can serve this sauce immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Here's another idea for a blue cheese and mushroom dish:
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven.
- In a large bowl, drizzle mushrooms with melted butter and add garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Toss to coat the mushrooms with the seasonings.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add blue cheese crumbles to the mushroom caps.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove the mushrooms from the oven and sprinkle with fresh herbs.
You can serve these garlic butter mushrooms warm, at room temperature, or cold. They're a great vegetarian option and go well with pasta or zucchini noodles.
Enjoy experimenting with these mushroom and blue cheese recipes!
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Mushrooms and cheese on bread
Mushrooms and cheese are a delightful combination, with the cheese bringing out the earthy, woody, and umami flavours of the mushrooms. The two foods share biological affinities, with both being mostly water, and depending on microbes to transform the substrate they are growing on into something delicious.
When it comes to mushrooms and cheese on bread, there are a few ways to go about it. One option is to make a mushroom and cheese melt, where you cook the mushrooms and melt the cheese, and then place them on a baguette or a slice of French bread. You can use a variety of mushrooms, such as cremini, portobello, or shiitake, and cheeses like Gruyère, Swiss, cheddar, mozzarella, or goat cheese. Another option is to make a mushroom and cheese pâté, where you cook the mushrooms and mix them with cheese and other ingredients, and then spread it on bread. This option works well with a flaky cheddar like Flory’s Truckle or a smoked cheddar like Quicke’s Oak Smoked Cheddar.
If you want to get a little more creative, you can make stuffed mushrooms with a cheese filling and place them on a bun or a slice of bread. This recipe involves removing the stems from the mushrooms, chopping them up, and cooking them with butter, onions, garlic, and herbs. You then mix this with shredded cheese and stuff it into the mushroom caps, before baking them in the oven. This option works well with a variety of mushrooms, such as white button or cremini, and cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, or goat cheese.
Finally, you can also make a mushroom and cheese spread or dip, which can be served with bread. This option involves cooking the mushrooms and pureeing them with other ingredients, such as toasted nuts, and then serving them with a cheese that has a similar texture, such as a flaky cheddar or a smoked cheddar.
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Frequently asked questions
There are many types of cheese that go well with mushrooms. Some popular varieties include:
- Blue cheese with hen of the woods mushrooms
- French semi-soft Bucherolle with mixed mushrooms
- Halloumi with grilled cremini mushrooms
- Havarti, Fontina, Gruyere, Swiss or Jack
- Lion's mane with cream cheese or parmesan
- Maitake with pecorino or fontina
- Morels with chèvre or brie
- Oysters with feta or nutty alpines
- Shiitake with feta
Mushrooms and cheese can be incorporated into a variety of dishes. Here are some examples:
- Cheese stuffed mushrooms
- Mac and cheese with mushrooms
- Risotto with mushrooms and cheese
- Pasta with mushrooms and a cheesy sauce
- Baked mushrooms with cheese
- Mushroom and cheese turnovers
- Mushroom and cheese baguette rounds
Here are some tips for preparing mushrooms:
- Brush off any dirt with a damp paper towel. If the mushrooms are dirty, quickly rinse them under water and pat them dry.
- Pop out the mushroom stems, trim any hard ends, and chop the stems into tiny bits.
- Sauté the mushrooms in butter, oil, or aromatics to draw out their savory notes.
- Toss the mushrooms with olive oil before baking to prevent them from drying out.
Mushrooms and cheese share biological affinities and complementary flavors. Both depend on microbes to transform the substrate they are growing on into something delicious. Mushrooms can add umami, sweetness, and acidity to cheese, while also providing a textural contrast. They are also a good source of protein and amino acids.
