Crab isn’t an everyday ingredient for many of us, but it’s always a great option for special occasions. Crab can be a costly choice at restaurants but if you make your own crab appetizer, you can trim down the costs while still enjoying something impressive and truly delicious. You can choose from fresh or canned crabmeat, depending on your budget.
As for the mushrooms, they do tend to shrink when they cook, so choose big, plump ones for the best result.
The “Cajun holy trinity” of onion, peppers and celery starts the recipe off on the right note, and then you can mix in the minced stems of the mushrooms, before combining the crabmeat with most of the remaining ingredients and filling the mushroom caps. Add cheese on top and bake until bubbly.
You’ll find these crab-stuffed mushroom appetizers easy to prepare and as for the flavor, that will be a 10 out of 10!
Why You’ll Love the Recipe
This gourmet recipe is deceptively easy to prepare, and the flavor of earthy mushrooms and other vegetables goes beautifully with the sweet, delicate crab and cheese.
How to Serve Them:
Serve these crab and mushroom appetizers warm for the best results. And why not pair them with a glass of fizz if you’re making them for a special occasion?
Ingredients:
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Onion
- Old Bay seasoning
- Celery
- Garlic powder
- Red bell pepper
- Salt
- Oyster crackers
- Pepper
- Mushrooms
- Water
- Crab claw meat
- Egg
- White cheddar cheese
How to make Crab Stuffed Mushrooms:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the celery, bell pepper and onion until tender. Cool in the fridge.
Remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms, and finely chop half of the stems into pieces.
In a mixing bowl, combine the sauteed vegetables, mushroom stems, cheddar cheese, Old Bay, garlic powder, salt, oyster cracker crumbs, pepper, water, crab meat and egg.
Place the mushrooms into a buttered baking dish.
Add a spoonful of filling to the mushrooms.
Break the cheese slices into pieces and place on top of the mushrooms.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Let cool slightly before serving.
You can’t go wrong with this easy crab-stuffed mushroom appetizer. These bite-sized treats are easy to make and they offer so much flavor.
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- ½ C. Shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp. Finely chopped onion
- ½ tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ C. Celery finely chopped
- ¼ tsp. Garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp. Red bell pepper finely chopped
- ¼ tsp. Salt
- 2 C. Crushed oyster crackers
- ¼ tsp. Pepper
- 35 Medium sized mushrooms with stems and gills removed
- ½ C. Water
- ½ lb. Crab claw meat
- 1 Large egg
- 5 Slices white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the celery, bell pepper and onion until tender. Cool in the fridge.
- Remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms, and finely chop half of the stems into pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sauteed vegetables, mushroom stems, cheddar cheese, Old Bay, garlic powder, salt, oyster cracker crumbs, pepper, water, crab meat and the egg.
- Place the mushrooms into a buttered baking dish.
- Add a spoonful of filling to the mushrooms.
- Break the cheese slices into pieces and place on top of the mushrooms.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes.
- Let cool slightly before serving.
Can You Make Them Ahead?
Assemble them ahead if you want but don’t cook them until you’re nearly ready to serve.
Storage Instructions:
You aren’t likely to have any of these gourmet treats left over but, if you do, refrigerate them and either have them chilled or warm them back up gently. These will only keep for a couple of days.
Variations and Substitutions:
You can use canned crab if you prefer, or even shrimp. Also, try Swiss cheese in place of the cheddar if you like. Emmentaler is another option.
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