A quick appetizer: Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms

I have a love/hate relationship with appetizers preceding a holiday meal.

Ideally they should tantalize the tongue, awaken the palate, and leave the guest eager for dinner, but we can all probably agree that they are often carb-heavy or cheese-laden. This type of fare can leave us feeling bloated as we gather around the table, with Gougères being the light and fluffy exception to the rule.

That said, I don’t think we should do away with the appetizer. The cocktail hour is a wonderful time to socialize, and I arrive starving, that plate of nibbles can be a lifeline and prevent me from crashing while awaiting the meal. If I’m being absolutely honest!

Instead, let’s serve more pre-dinner snacks that are gluten-free and vegetarian, leaving room for turkey or roast lamb with dinner. Today’s recipe for Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms are kind of what I have in mind.

Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms // www.simplebites.net #recipe #appetizer #glutenfree #vegetarian

These mushroom caps are stuffed with a simple slice of artichoke heart, topped with feta and drizzled with a olive-oil and herb mixture, punched up with a generous zesting of lemon.

They are roasted, served hot, warm or cold, and hit all the marks of a perfect appetizer. The stuffed mushrooms burst with flavour, the salty feta and earthy mushroom playing nicely off of each other. The lemon adds a brightness to awaken the taste buds and the blend of herbs tie the ingredients together in a marriage of Mediterranean flavours.

Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms // www.simplebites.net #recipe #appetizer #glutenfree #vegetarian

You can serve these stuffed mushrooms to your gluten-free and vegetarian guests, and if you leave off the feta, the vegans can get in on the fun, too. Just be sure to add a generous pinch of sea salt if you do remove the feta cheese.

Mediterranean Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer

A quick and easy bite featuring Mediterranean flavours. Gluten-free and vegetarian.
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Gluten-free, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 217kcal
Author: Aimee

Ingredients

  • 12 button mushroom caps
  • 1 can whole artichoke hearts drained
  • 1/4 cup feta
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 lemon zested
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1/2 bundle dried Mediterranean herbs or Herbes de Provence (see Notes)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375F. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil in a medium baking dish and place the mushroom caps side-by-side into the dish.
  • Slice the leaves off of the artichoke hearts and tuck the hearts into the mushrooms. You may need to trim them to size, or divide one heart between two mushrooms.
  • Crumble feta onto the artichokes.
  • Mix together remaining olive oil, lemon zest, fresh pepper and dried herb blend. Drizzle overtop of the stuffed mushrooms and place the baking dish in the oven.
  • Roast mushrooms for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly and serve with sturdy toothpicks.

Notes

I buy the Spice Trekkers’ Mediterranean Herbs blend, which you can order online, but you can also use what you have on hand to make your own. Use a few pinches of dried rosemary, oregano, thyme and sage.

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1030IU | Vitamin C: 36.4mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1.4mg

Stuffed Mushrooms continued:

How do you feel about appetizers? Do you have a favourite?

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




13 Comments

  1. What an inspired combination! Especially since I learned that mushrooms are a source of vitamin D, I’ve been looking for ways to get them into our winter mix of foods.

  2. Mediterranean foods are some of my very favorites! These mushrooms are shouting my name! Perfect quick and healthy app!
    Thanks for linking my Caprese quinoa mushrooms. I had forgot all about those!

    And I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!! I know yur house will be smelling amazing! 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    I, love the recipe but I have trouble finding artichoke hearts here where I live. What would you substitute the hearts with ?
    Thanks for any answer you can provide.