Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Tender button mushrooms filled with lump crab, cream cheese, and Old Bay. An elegant hot appetizer.
- 24 largebutton mushrooms(stems removed)
- 8 ozlump crab meat(picked over for shells)
- 4 ozcream cheese(softened)
- 2 tbspmayonnaise
- 2 piecesgreen onions(minced)
- 1 tspOld Bay seasoning
- 1 tbsplemon juice
- 1/4 cupparmesan cheese(grated)
- 2 tbspfresh parsley(minced)
Mushrooms can be stuffed up to 24 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bake just before serving.
- 1Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with foil.
- 2Clean mushrooms and remove stems. Arrange cap-side down on baking sheet.
- 3Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, green onions, Old Bay, and lemon juice until smooth.
- 4Gently fold in crab meat, being careful not to break up lumps.
- 5Fill each mushroom cap generously with crab mixture.
- 6Top with parmesan cheese.
- 7Bake for 18-20 minutes until mushrooms are tender and filling is golden.
- 8Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm.
Use real lump crab meat, not imitation. Gently fold the filling to preserve crab chunks. Pick through crab carefully for shell fragments. The mushrooms will release liquid as they bake - the parchment catches it. Serve hot for best texture. These pair beautifully with champagne.
Crab-stuffed mushrooms became a fixture of American holiday entertaining in the mid-20th century, representing the elegance associated with special occasions. The Chesapeake Bay region, with its abundant blue crab, particularly embraced this preparation. Old Bay seasoning, created in Baltimore around 1939, remains the traditional choice.