OK, now I know many of our readers remember back in the day when we thought Red Lobster was the ultimate in luxury fine dining! Back when we were kids, families didn’t go out to eat as much. So when we did, it was something special. And a treat like Red Lobster for a seafood dinner was something extra special. Like a couple times of year at most special.
Red Lobster still feels like a special treat to me! One of the things that got me loving Red Lobster so much was their crab stuffed mushrooms.
I stumbled across this recipe after a dinner at Red Lobster with my mom back in college. She ordered the crab stuffed mushrooms as a seafood appetizer, and I swiped one right off her plate before she could stop me.
Crab can run you a pretty penny at restaurants. But when you make your own crab appetizer at home, you’ll cut the cost way down and still get something that tastes just as good. Fresh or canned crabmeat both work depending on your budget.
Mushrooms do shrink when they cook, so grab the biggest button mushrooms you can find. You want plump caps that’ll hold a generous scoop of filling.
The recipe kicks off with onion, red bell pepper and celery sauteed in butter. You fold in chopped mushroom stems, crabmeat, cheese and a handful of other good stuff before packing it into the caps. Top with white cheddar and bake until bubbly. My kids ask for these every time we have people over, and my neighbor once told me they’re the best stuffed mushrooms she’s had.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These little stuffed mushrooms are the kind of crab appetizer that’ll make your guests think you ordered from a caterer. When all you did was whip them up in your own kitchen!
- Looks fancy but super easy: 30 minutes with stuff you probably already have.
- Packed with flavor: Old Bay seasoning, sauteed veggies, sweet crab claw meat.
- Good for you too: Mushrooms and crab are both low in calories and high in protein. The cheese adds some protein, too. Maybe not exactly a guilt-free appetizer, but at least add some healthy stuff.
- Works as a meal or a starter: Serve them as a seafood appetizer before dinner. Or make a bigger batch and call it a light seafood dinner with a side salad or cup of soup.
- Pretty cheap: For a seafood appetizer, crab stuffed mushrooms are a decent price.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This is one of those crab recipes where you’ve got some flexibility to make a lot of different variations if you want.
- Crab claw meat: Fresh is great but canned crab works fine. You could also swap in chopped shrimp if crab isn’t available. Or you can use lobster for Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms!
- Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar goes into the filling and white cheddar sits on top. Try Swiss, Emmentaler, Mozzarella all work, too.
- Mushrooms: I love the baby bellas because they’re sturdy and have a rich flavor. White button mushrooms work too, choose the larger ones. You can use larger mushrooms, but you may need to add a couple minutes of cook time if they have more filling.
- Old Bay seasoning: If you don’t have Old Bay, mix paprika, celery salt, black pepper, tiny pinch of cayenne. Cajun seasoning works too if you like a little heat in your crab recipes.
- Oyster crackers: These give the filling nice texture. Crush up saltines or Ritz crackers instead if you can’t find oyster crackers. Panko works too. Or bread crumbs (you can buy them or make them).
Tips for Success
A few things I’ve picked up over the years from making crab recipes like this one.
- Cool the veggies first: Hot sauteed vegetables can start cooking the egg too early in the filling.
- Pick mushrooms that are similar in size: They’ll cook evenly and look better on the platter.
- Scrape the gills out: The dark gills hold moisture and can make the bottoms soggy. A small spoon works great for this.
- Shred your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese from the bag has a coating that keeps it from melting smooth.
Storage and Reheating
You can put them together a day before. Just don’t bake until you’re almost ready to eat. Cover the dish and keep it in the fridge. Pull it out about 15 minutes before baking so they aren’t cold going in.
If you’ve got leftovers, put them in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll keep about 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or toss them in an air fryer at 350 for 3 to 4 minutes.
You can freeze assembled caps before baking. Lay them on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to a month. Bake straight from frozen at 400 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.
The microwave works in a pinch. Go 30 seconds at a time so the mushrooms don’t get rubbery.
Serving Suggestions
These stuffed mushrooms taste best warm from the oven. Set them on a platter as a seafood appetizer before the main course. Nice for dipping in cocktail sauce if you like that. Or squeeze some lemon on top.
If you want a full seafood dinner, enjoy your crab appetizer with a cup of creamy soup or a light salad.
Notes
This recipe takes me back to those Red Lobster dinners with my mom. We made it a tradition, always splitting a plate of their crab stuffed mushrooms before our entrees came out. When the location near us closed, I decided I had to figure out how to make them myself.
It took a few tries, but once I landed on this mix of Old Bay, crab claw meat and that combo of cheddar with white cheddar on top, I knew I had it. Now it’s what I bring to every potluck. My aunt calls them “the fancy ones” and always checks that I’m bringing them before she commits to showing up.
Crabbed Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 16-20 Large white button or baby bella mushrooms
- 2 tbsp. Unsalted butter
- 2 Cloves garlic minced
- 8 oz. Lump crabmeat drained and picked for cartilage
- 4 oz. Cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup Finely grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 Green onions finely sliced
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs divided
- 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp. Fresh lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet or baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Clean the mushrooms gently with a damp paper towel to remove any loose dirt. Carefully pop the stems out of each mushroom cap. Set the hollow caps aside and finely chop the removed stems to use in the filling baseline.
- Melt the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and the finely chopped mushroom stems, sautéing for 4 to 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and release their moisture. Remove the pan from the heat.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, grated parmesan cheese, shredded cheddar, sliced green onions, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, and the sautéed garlic-stem mixture. Whisk firmly with a fork until the base forms a smooth, cohesive matrix.
- Gently fold the drained lump crabmeat and exactly ¼ cup of the panko breadcrumbs into the cream cheese mixture. Use a silicone spatula to combine the elements carefully so you keep the sweet crab chunks relatively intact. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper to preference.
- Arrange the hollowed-out mushroom caps gill-side up on your prepared baking sheet.
- Spoon a generous portion of the crab filling into each cap, pressing down lightly to secure it and mounding it slightly over the top edges.
- Scatter the remaining ¼ cup of crisp panko breadcrumbs uniformly over the top of the stuffed mounds to create a texturized upper layer.
- Place the baking sheet on the middle oven rack and bake at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes. The appetizers are finished when the mushroom bodies are tender and juicy, and the top breadcrumbs take on a beautiful golden-brown color.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the stuffed mushrooms rest flat on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. This brief pause allows the hot cheese emulsion to tighten slightly, making them easy to handle. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and serve warm.
