Clean the mushrooms with a damp brush or cloth (do not wash them) and de-stem the mushrooms. Do not throw away the stems as you will use them for the stuffing.
Place the mushroom caps on a baking tray covered in parchment paper and place them on a baking tray with the caps up and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
Mash the potatoes until there are no lumps.
Crush the whole garlic clove with a pinch of coarse salt and dry rosemary in a pestle and mortar. Pound the garlic into a smooth paste and then add approximately 2 tbsp of grated mozzarella cheese so it becomes pasty.
Dice the mushroom stems really finely.
Start to sauté the mushrooms and diced shallots in vegetable broth until translucent, stirring often. Keep adding vegetable broth to prevent sticking.
If you do not have vegetable broth you can sauté with water.
Next add in diced garlic, chopped fresh herbs, black pepper and ¼ tsp of salt.
Continue sautéeing until the garlic is fragrant. Next stir in diced mushroom stems and sauté until the mushrooms are cooked through. Keep adding vegetable broth or water to prevent sticking.
Once mushroom caps are done baking, lower the oven temperature to 170° C / 340° F.
Mix the baking juices from the mushroom caps into the stuffing mixture before adding in lemon zest and juice. Add in the rest of the mozzarella cheese and mashed potatoes.
Stir in gluten-free breadcrumbs and pine nuts, making sure they are evenly distributed.
Adjust the seasoning and check that the mixture is moist but not overly soggy.
Brush the insides of the caps with the garlic cheese paste you made earlier before stuffing them with the mixture.
Bake the stuffed mushrooms for about 15-20 minutes until the tops are browned.
Notes:
For this recipe, you can opt for the Miyokos’ kitchen liquid mozzarella cheese as well, in which case you just swap out the liquid for the grated cheese.
Also, this recipe works great with portobello mushrooms too!
If you would like a fat-free version, you can leave out the cheese, and it still tastes so good with lots of flavor.
Cooking Tips & FAQ's:
Can I use different mushrooms? White button mushrooms will work in a pinch, but I prefer cremini for more flavor. This recipe works better with smaller mushrooms for an appetizer, though I suppose you could also use large mushrooms like portobello mushrooms for more of a main course!
What do I do with the mushroom stems? I find that the stems can be a bit tough, so I prefer not to use them in my recipe. Personally, I like to save them and make some yummy homemade vegetable broth!