Description
These Delicious Stuffed Mushroom Eyeballs are a spooky and fun Halloween appetizer perfect for parties. Large mushrooms are filled with a savory mixture of cream cheese, sausage or bacon, Parmesan, garlic, and herbs, then baked until golden. Topped with small olives to mimic eerie eyeballs, these bite-sized treats combine creamy, cheesy, and meaty flavors with a festive creepy twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Mushrooms
- 16 large white or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and caps separated
Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese (low-fat options can be used)
- 1/2 cup cooked sausage or crumbled bacon (cooked ground turkey or plant-based sausage can be substituted)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- chopped mushroom stems (from the 16 mushrooms)
Topping
- 16 small pitted olives (used for pupils)
Other
- Cooking spray or olive oil for greasing the baking sheet
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the stuffed mushrooms.
- Prepare mushrooms: Gently clean the mushrooms and remove their stems carefully. Finely chop the removed stems and set them aside for the filling.
- Make the filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped mushroom stems, cream cheese, cooked sausage or bacon, grated Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until you achieve a consistent creamy mixture.
- Stuff mushroom caps: Take each mushroom cap and generously fill it with the prepared creamy filling. Press down slightly to secure the mixture inside the caps.
- Arrange and top: Place the stuffed mushroom caps on a baking sheet lightly greased with cooking spray or olive oil to prevent sticking. Press one small pitted olive into the center of each mushroom cap to resemble a pupil.
- Bake: Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is warm and slightly golden.
- Serve: Remove the stuffed mushroom eyeballs from the oven, let them cool for a minute, then arrange them on a festive platter. Serve warm as a spooky Halloween appetizer.
Notes
- You can substitute the sausage or bacon with cooked ground turkey or plant-based sausage for a lighter or vegetarian option.
- Using low-fat cream cheese reduces the calorie and fat content while maintaining creaminess.
- Ensure mushrooms are dried well to prevent extra moisture making the filling watery.
- Small pitted olives add the perfect “eyeball” look but can be swapped out with other small, round toppings if desired.
- These stuffed mushrooms can be prepared ahead of time and baked just before serving for convenience.
