Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms

These Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms make a great appetizer or side dish that’s great for a party or perfect for two. The baby bella mushrooms are filled with cream cheese, red bell pepper, green onions, bacon, and a red Fresno pepper and baked with parmesan on top.

I have to admit, I’m not usually a huge mushroom fan but I LOVE these Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms. The cream cheese and spicy pepper really balance out the mushroom flavor. I first made these with my boyfriend while we were camping. He suggested it and I was real iffy about it, but I gave in and I’m so glad I did. 

We love to cook kinda fancy while camping. No roasting hot dogs over the fire, but Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms, that’s the kind of cooking challenge we have fun trying.  I had to cut veggies in my lap with a camping knife and my saucepan was ruined in the fire, but it was totally worth it. 

Since that first time trying Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms while camping, I’ve cooked them in the oven and the grill many times.  They make a great appetizer or side dish. I make enough of the cream cheese mixture that I’m able to make the stuffed mushrooms as a side dish for a couple of nights during the week. I definitely recommend using the cream cheese mixture to stuff jalapenos or mini bell peppers. Yum! 

Kitchen Tools Needed to Make Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms

These Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms are easy to make and don’t require many kitchen tools to cook. Here’s what you need:

• Small mixing bowl
• Cutting board
• Knife
• 8×8 or 9×9 inch square pan 
• Baking tray
• Aluminum foil or cooking spray

Ingredients Used to Make Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms

These Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms are simple to make and so delicious. It is easy to swap out ingredients if you’re missing any or just want to try your own thing. Here are the ingredients I use to make them:

• Baby bella mushrooms
• Cream cheese
• Bacon
• Red Fresno chili pepper
• Red bell pepper
• Green onions
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Parmesan

How to Make Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms

1. Start by preheating the oven to 425F and greasing or lining a square pan with tinfoil. Put two slices of bacon on a greased baking tray and cook for 14-17 minutes or until desired level of crispiness.
2. Next, cut up the red bell pepper, green onions, and the red Fresno chile pepper. 
3. When the bacon is finished cooking, pat down the slices with a paper towel to remove the excess grease. Cut the bacon into small pieces. In a small bowl, add the cream cheese, peppers, green onions, bacon, and seasonings and mix until combined.  
4. Remove the stems from the baby bella mushrooms and add a hefty spoonful of the cream cheese mixture where the stems used to be. Add parmesan to the top of the mushrooms and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are a nice golden brown. These are best served immediately.

Tips and Substitutions for Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms

1. Mushrooms – I usually buy the baby bella mushrooms, but feel free to experiment with different kinds of mushrooms and let me know how they turn out! Cooking time may vary if using larger mushrooms. 
2. Chile pepper – If you don’t want it spicy then you can leave the pepper out. The red Fresno pepper is a more mild chile pepper compared to jalapeno or habanero which also tastes delicious in these mushrooms if you like things spicier. 
3. Bacon – These Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms can easily be made vegetarian if you leave the bacon out and can be a huge time saver if you’re crunched for time. For bacon-lovers I recommend topping the mushrooms with some extra bacon when you add the parmesan. 
4. Bell pepper – Go ahead and experiment with different bell pepper’s if red isn’t your favorite. An orange bell pepper goes really well with these Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms too!