Irish Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Irish Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms are the perfect appetizer or side dish for any get-together.

It's no secret that Irish cheddar cheese is one of the best cheeses in the world. It has a rich, tangy flavor that melts in your mouth and brings you back to fond memories of St. Patrick's Day celebrations with family and friends.

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Irish Party Food

Are you looking for an appetizer that is sure to be a hit? These Irish appetizers are the perfect solution. Large stuffed mushrooms with cheddar cheese are relatively easy to make, and they're packed with flavor!

Irish cheese and garlic stuffed mushrooms are the perfect appetizer for all your guests, Irish or not. These mushrooms are easy to make and you can customize them with whatever cheese you have in your fridge!

They're also a great dish to take along to an Irish party because they combine two of Ireland's most popular ingredients: cheddar cheese and mushrooms. I use this same combination in my Irish potato bites.

It's no surprise that Irish cuisine is rich in cheese.

This recipe includes Irish cheddar cheese. White or red Irish cheddar is a mature cheese with an excellent flavor profile. Dubliner Cheese is widely available in the United States and works perfectly for this recipe.

Is this a traditional Irish recipe? That’s hard to say, but it definitely is a popular way of serving mushrooms in Irish restaurants and they're always a hit at Irish parties.

This blog post will cover everything from which mushrooms to pick, to tips for making these appetizers even more mouthwatering.

They're also a great dish to take along to an Irish party because they combine two of Ireland's most popular ingredients: cheddar cheese and mushrooms.

Ingredients for Irish Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms

Here's a list of ingredients I use for this recipe. You'll find exact quantities in the printable recipe at the end of this post.

• garlic bulb (separated into cloves and peeled)
• heavy whipping cream
• breadcrumbs
• grated Irish cheddar cheese
• butter
• fresh thyme (chopped)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• large white mushrooms (washed with stems removed)
•  freshly chopped parsley to garnish

You'll find some tips for substitutions a little further down this post.

Directions for Irish Cheese Mushrooms

Here's how to make these delicious appetizers....

Make a garlic cream purée

The key to this garlic infused recipe is preparing a flavorful garlic purée for the stuffing. The extreme garlic flavor enhances the Irish cheddar cheese. Here you'll find step-by-step photo instructions to help you recreate this delicious taste of Ireland.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. You can turn on the oven after the next step if you wish, since it takes about half an hour to create the cream and garlic purée.

Place the garlic cloves and cream in a small heavy-based pan over a very low heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the garlic is completely tender.

The cream will reduce and thicken, but be sure to stir the garlic mixture from time to time to make sure the cream does not burn.

Remove the garlic and cream mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly.

Mash the mixture to make a rough purée with a fork or potato masher.

How to make the mushroom stuffing

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and leave to cool.

Stir in the breadcrumbs and fold in the cheese and thyme.

I use fresh thyme. Remove the leaves from the thyme stalks and chop them coarsely.

Preapare and stuff the mushrooms

Next it's time to prepare the mushrooms.

Clean them by washing them, or if you prefer you can just wipe them clean if there isn't much residual earth on your mushrooms.

I use large white mushrooms, which are easily found in Irish supermarkets. County Monaghan is home to a thriving mushroom growing business in Ireland.

Melt the butter in a small pan. Use a kitchen brush to spread the melted butter all over the top and sides of the mushrooms. (Do not brush the black gills, since the filling will cover this).

Arrange the mushrooms on a non-stick baking sheet, top-side down.

Add a spoon of the breadcrumb and cheese stuffing mixture to each mushroom cap.

You can top each mushroom with additional grated cheddar if you wish. But I find there's plenty cheese in the stuffing mixture.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked through and the topping is golden brown.

Garnish with fresh parsley to serve.

Tips for Irish Mushroom Appetizers

If you have quesitons about the ingredients, substitiutions or tips for cooking success, them you might find your answers here.

Types of Mushrooms To Use

This mushroom recipe uses large white button mushrooms. They’re easy to clean and destem, so they’re a perfect choice for this Irish recipe.

No need for chopped mushrooms, but if you don’t like waste you can finely chop the mushroom stems and add them to the stuffing mixture. It will become a little more moist as a result.

You can also use baby bella mushrooms or cremini mushrooms too. They have nice firm mushroom caps for a deliciously firm mushroom appetizer.

Portobello mushrooms go great with this stuffing mixture too, but you probably would need to double the quantities for the stuffing to fill four large portobello mushroom caps.

Preparing the Mushrooms

Avoid using too much water to rinse the mushrooms. Sometimes they're just too dirty to come clean with a quick wipe, so you have to give them a quick dip.

Whenever possible simply wipe them with a damp cloth or a paper towel. Never soak mushrooms in water for a long time since they will absorb extra fluid and become soggy.

Type of Cheese To Use

If you don't have any Irish cheddar cheese, try using some of your favorite cheeses. As long as it's salty enough to stand up to the garlic flavor I'm sure your mushrooms will be delicious!

You can purchase Irish cheddar cheese online from Food Ireland.

Cheddar cheese can be a little salty, so use salt and pepper to taste.

Cheese is a great way to get kids involved in cooking, so you might have them help with the stuffing.

Here’s a list of some potential substitutes for cheddar in this recipe...

• Colby cheese.
• Double Gloucester cheese.
• Tillamook cheese.
• Edam.
• Gouda.

Tips for Breadcrumbs 

Fresh breadcrumbs are best, and I recommend making your own crumbs from leftover bread rather than using dried breadcrumbs.

Homemade bread crumbs will absorb any excess liquids from the mushrooms and help prevent the mushrooms from becoming soggy.

Leftover plain white soda bread makes amazing breadcrumbs for this recipe.

Breadcrumb Substitutes

This recipe can be made without the breadcrumbs, if you want to keep it gluten free for example. However the flavor profile will change.

Baked almond meal can be used instead of breadcrumbs. You can make this by mixing a cup of ground almonds with a tablespoon of olive oil.

Spread the ground almonds, or almond meal as it is called in the US, on a lined baking tray. Then bake them in a 400° F oven for about 10 minutes. Baking the ground almonds is key to success for this substitution.

If you come up with any other good substitutes I'd love to hear about your kitchen tips in the comments.

Choice of Herbs

If you don't have any thyme on hand feel free to substitute a different type of herb. My favorite fresh herb substitutions are organo, rosemary, basil or marjoram.

You can also use dried thyme if you don't have any fresh thyme available. Remember the ratio for substituting fresh thyme with dried thyme. 3 teaspoons of fresh thyme is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.

For this recipe you would need ⅔ of a teaspoon of dried thyme. There will be a slight difference in flavor in the cooked recipe, but still delicious.

You can also try a dry seasoning such as Italian seasoning blend, poultry seasoning or herbes de provence as a substitute for the fresh thyme.

Garlic Flavor

The garlic flavor is strong in this recipe, so it might be wise to leave out a few cloves for children and individuals who don't like too much garlic.

However, for garlic lovers, this is the recipe for you.

Oven Temperature

Make sure that your oven is at 400°F when you bake these or the dish will not cook properly.

A hot oven is important to thoroughly heat the mushrooms and to get a golden crispy finish on top of the mushrooms

Can I Make These Appetizers in Advance?

These mushrooms can be made up to a day ahead of time if they’re not assembled until you’re ready to cook them, and kept refrigerated before baking, just before serving.

If you're cooking a large batch and wish to preassemble everything, I recommend making them ahead and then simply reheating them in the oven before serving. They can be made up to 12 hours ahead without any issues. If you make them further in advance the mushrooms will end up being mushy and spongy.

Simply cover with tin foil or put them into an airtight container until you're ready to cook them. This will keep your Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms moist and prevent sogginess.

However, for best results I recommend preparing the mushrooms and stuffing in advance but not assembling the mushrooms until you're ready to bake them.

Clean and destem the mushrooms. Do not brush them with oil until you're ready to cook them. Store them in a baking pan covered with foil or in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Make the stuffing in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Assemble the mushrooms when you're ready to bake them.

By deferring the assembly of the mushrooms you decrease the risk of the mushrooms absorbing the liquids from the stuffing. They can become soggy and the stuffing can end up being dry.

Recipe Card for Irish Cheddar and Garlic Mushrooms

Here's the printable recipe card and video ...

I hope you enjoy this taste of Ireland.

Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.