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Aired April 15, 2022
When entertaining, we all know how much easier it can be to prep and cook some of your dishes ahead of time. One viewer, @ahappyhostess on Instagram, asked Rach if she can make stuffed mushrooms in advance—and Rach shared some of her foolproof tips.
Can you make stuffed mushrooms ahead of time?
The short answer is yes, but according to Rach, it's crucial that some parts of the stuffed mushroom recipe are done the day you plan to serve them for the best tasting results.
"I buy the mushrooms fresh that day, then partially bake them upside down so most of the liquid falls out. You can make the stuffing ahead—freeze it, defrost it, and then reheat it in a pan," says Rach. But, Rach would argue that it's probably least complicated to make them the day of—plus, you wouldn't have to worry about the moisture content.
"The most important thing to remember is whenever you make stuffed mushrooms, bake them upside down first, let all the liquid drain out, then partially bake them at a very high temperature for a few minutes. Once that's done, let them drain, save all that liquid and put it into the stuffing," explains Rach. "Flip them over and then fill the caps."
Can you pre-fill the mushroom caps?
"If you want to pre-fill the caps, partially bake them a bit or just put them away cold and bake them off later. It'll work, but you'll have a really high moisture content when that cooks up again in the oven, so the whole top may slide off when somebody goes to bite into it, which is why I prefer to make the whole thing the same day," explains Rach. So maybe steer clear of pre-filling those stuffed mushrooms to avoid this issue.
Looking for a mushroom appetizer to make ahead? Try these Make-Ahead Mushroom Rolls.