A good mushroom stuffing balls recipe will last you your entire life! This one has juicy portobello mushrooms, thyme, and a nutty crunch from walnuts that makes them rich and earthy. They're crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside; plus, everyone gets their own, so they are easy to serve. It's the perfect side for a roast dinner; my family has been making this stuffing recipe for eons, so I felt it was time to get it on the blog.
Ingredient notes
You can use any type of mushroom for stuffing, but I like to use portobello mushrooms as they are so meaty and have a great texture as well as flavor to them. Smaller mushrooms also cook down to nothing, whereas portobello mushrooms keep their bouncy texture even when chopped into small pieces. Walnuts work exceptionally well with mushrooms to add both flavor and crunch, and then we add onion, garlic, thyme, and lemon rind to take things to the next level.
I always, always recommend using panko breadcrumbs in stuffing balls, meatballs, or anything where you use breadcrumbs as a binder. This is because they trap moisture much better than ordinary breadcrumbs, making the stuffing much more moist. If you can't get panko, buy a packet of salad croutons and crush them up with a rolling pin (or pulse them in the food processor, but not too finely).
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for full quantities and step-by-step directions on how to make walnut and mushroom stuffing balls.
Prepare the mushrooms
First, we need to cook out the mushrooms so they release all of their water. Otherwise, the stuffing balls will shrink, shrivel, and disintegrate as they bake.
Clean the portobello mushrooms and then cut them into very small pieces.
Heat some butter and oil together in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the small mushroom chunks with a pinch of salt. This helps them release their water faster. They will shrink and go glossy.
Turn the heat down to low and cook the mushrooms for another 5-10 minutes to help as much water evaporate as possible. Stir them frequently to keep them cooking evenly.
Allow them to cool completely before continuing.
Make the mushroom stuffing mix and bak
Grate the onion and garlic into a mixing bowl, and add the lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and cooked mushrooms and stir to combine.
Form the mixture into balls by scooping some out with a spoon and rolling/squeezing in your hands. Place them in a greased oven dish and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour at 150C/300F.
Top tips
Grating the onion and garlic means they distribute evenly through the portobello mushroom walnut stuffing balls and also keep them moist.
Add a knob of butter on top of each stuffing ball when either baking or reheating will crisp them up beautifully.
How to serve stuffing
This recipe makes six stuffing balls, and I usually allow one per person. If you're making a traditional Sunday roast (like glazed gammon or a capon chicken), try them alongside the following side dishes:
- Bacon wrapped sausages
- Giblet gravy
- Carrots en papillote
- Garlic potato roses
If you have leftovers, I also like smashing them into a pattie and serving them with a fried egg on top!
Wine Pairing
This will partly depend on what the main dish is. A Pinot Noir is a great choice for roast chicken or turkey. A bolder red will work better with red meats, like a Syrah or a Bordeaux blend.
Equipment
To portion out walnut mushroom stuffing balls, you can use a cookie scoop, but I prefer to shape them with my hands. Bake them in an oven-proof dish or on an oven tray.
How to store and freeze stuffing balls
I love stuffing as it is so easy to prep in advance. You can make the stuffing balls the day before, keep them covered in the fridge, and then bake them when needed. You can also freeze mushroom stuffing balls. I prefer to freeze them once baked; just wrap them in plastic food wrap and aluminum foil once cooled and place them into a ziplock bag.
🙏🏻 If you try this recipe...
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear how it went! Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well. Your feedback helps other readers and is greatly appreciated.
📖 Recipe
Walnut & Portobello Mushroom Stuffing Balls
Rosanna Stevens
Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside walnut & portobello mushroom stuffing balls are the perfect side dish for a roast dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine British
Servings 6 balls
Calories 201 kcal
Equipment
oven dish
Ingredients
- 250 grams (9 oz) Portobello mushrooms (roughly 3 mushrooms)
- 75 grams (½ cup) walnuts
- 130 grams (2 cups) panko breadcrumbs
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 egg
- ½ lemon (zest and juice)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- 1 teaspoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Prepare the mushrooms
Clean and finely chop the portobello mushrooms into very small pieces.
Heat oil and butter together in a frying pan over medium heat, and when it's hot, add the mushrooms with a large pinch of salt.
Cook the mushrooms, stirring frequently, until they darken and reduce in size. Keep cooking for 5-10 minutes on low heat to help them evaporate as much of their moisture content as possible. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
Make the stuffing mix
Once the mushrooms have cooled, place them into a large mixing bowl.
Grate the onion and garlic into the bowl with the cooked mushrooms. Then add the egg, fresh parsley, dried thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice, and breadcrumbs.
Use a large spoon to thoroughly mix everything together, and season with salt and pepper.
Bake the stuffing
Preheat the oven to 150℃/300℉ and grease an oven dish with butter.
Portion the mushroom stuffing into six even-sized balls by rolling/squeezing it in your hands. Place the stuffing balls into the dish and add a small piece of butter on top of each one. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake the walnut and portobello mushroom stuffing balls for one hour.
Notes
I always recommend panko breadcrumbs as they help keep the stuffing balls moist. If you can't find them, use a packet of store-bought salad croutons and roughly crush them up with a rolling pin.
Don't have the oven too high, it needs to be low, or the stuffing balls will dry out.
You can make the stuffing balls in advance and reheat them, or even freeze them. Wrap them in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or place them in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 6gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 170mgPotassium: 298mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 88IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2mg
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