Vegetarian brown rice stuffed mushrooms with cheddar cheese & balsamic vinegar that are just as good baked in the oven as they are on the BBQ.
This gloriously simple recipe takes around 10 minutes to prepare and cooks in right around 15 minutes making it a fabulous midweek lunch or light evening meal.
Vegetarian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
I love stuffing mushrooms, they are wonderful little flavour sponges. Soaking up whatever flavours you stuff them with and adding a rich meatiness to any dish.
The filling for these brown rice and cheddar stuffed portobello mushrooms started out as the filling for a tart no less, it is simple to prepare and tastes fantastic.
Precooked and cooled brown rice is joined by some sharp cheddar cheese and balsamic vinegar.
Of course, being a Brit sharp cheddar cheese needs onions, so we add spring onion to the mix to come up with the perfect light vegetarian meal.
If stuffed mushrooms are your thing check out my other offerings. I have goat cheese and caramelised onion stuffed mushrooms, Lancashire cheese and bacon stuffed mushrooms and some wonderful minced beef stuffed mushrooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sort of mushrooms should I use?
You can use any old mushrooms for this recipe.
I usually prefer large portobello mushrooms because they tend to form a cup shape. It can be a bit fiddly getting everything to stay in place if you use flat mushrooms.
Can I use small mushrooms?
Yes, this dish makes a nice nibble for a dinner party or gathering, aim for “two bite” sized mushrooms and serve them warm rather than cold.
What cheese should I use?
Just like my Welsh Rarebit recipe, the secret to this recipe is your choice of cheese! There is lots of stuff out there labelled Cheddar that is frankly awful.
Firstly cheddar should be sharp and crumbly. You need that sharp and salty flavour to contrast the almost sweet flavour of the salty balsamic vinegar.
Can I use store-bought cooked brown rice?
I don’t usually use store-bought pre-cooked rice because I don’t think it represents reasonable value for money.
However, I tested this with Tilda pre-cooked brown basmati rice after being asked this question and it worked well.
Can I cook these in an air fryer?
Yes, however, you need a fairly large air fryer. They are also a little difficult to get out of the basket when they are hot, a 90° offset spatula helps if you have one.
Cook them at 200°C or 400°F for 9-12 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve these rice-stuffed mushrooms as a light main course or for lunch with some salad leaves or a lightly dressed green salad.
They are also good with a side of spuds, I particularly like them with some Parmentier potatoes, which you can throw in the oven, or some crispy fried new potatoes.
However, they make a really nice side dish too.
I’ve served them with everything from pan-fried salmon to some nicely cooked rump steak and even my glazed bacon chops.
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Oven or BBQ.
- Stovetop (to precook the rice).
- Small 17cm or 7″ saucepan (to precook the rice).
- Colander or sieve.
- Grater.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Mixing bowl.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
Cheddar Cheese & Brown Rice Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
Nutty Brown Rice, Cheddar cheese and spring onions are the perfect filling for these stuffed Portobello mushrooms that cook as well on the BBQ as they do in the oven!
Ingredients
- 4 Large (250g Total) Portobello or Field Mushrooms
- 100g (¾-1 cup) Cooked Brown Basmati Grain Rice
- 100g (1 Cup) Mature Cheddar Cheese
- 3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 4 Spring Onions
- 2 Tbsp Rapeseed (Canola) Oil
- ⅛ Tsp White Pepper
- Balsamic Reduction For Dressing
- Salt to taste
Instructions
The Preparation.
- If you are not using leftover whole grain rice then factor in cooking and cooling 50g (⅓ Cup) of rice into the timing.
- Remove the stalks from the mushrooms, cut them into a small dice and place them in a medium mixing bowl.
- Slice the spring onions into rounds around 2-3mm (⅛") thick and throw them in with the mushroom stalks.
- Grate the Cheddar cheese and chuck it into the bowl.
- Add the brown rice, balsamic vinegar and white pepper, then mix well, have a taste and add salt if necessary.
- Place the mushrooms on a baking tray, drizzle them with the oil and give each one a little sprinkle of coarse sea salt.
Cooking in the Oven.
- Brush the mushrooms with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Pile in a quarter of the filling to each mushroom and place on a baking tray.
- Cook in an oven at 220°C or 430°F for 13-18 minutes.
- Before serving drizzle with some balsamic reduction.
Cooking on the BBQ.
- Brush the mushrooms with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the mushrooms cup-side down on the BBQ over the direct heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Flip over the mushrooms and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the base is lightly grilled.
- Move the mushrooms off the direct heat of the charcoal.
- Pile in a quarter of the filling into each mushshroom and close the lid of the grill and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Before serving drizzle with some balsamic reduction.
Notes
The times for this recipe assumes that you have precooked rice, add another 25-35 minutes plus cooling time if you need to prepare the rice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 448Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 340mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 16g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
Mary (The Godmother @ Goodie Godmother)
Monday 25th of July 2016
These are beautiful and sound delicious. I'm a fan of stuffed mushrooms in any form, although I don't think we've grilled the big ones yet this year...
Brian Jones
Friday 29th of July 2016
Aint no heartache in having another must grill recipe on the back burner :D
Byron Thomas
Friday 22nd of July 2016
Brian, this is exactly the type of dish that makes me hungry. I love the simplicity of it and I can just imagine how well that balsamic drizzle wakes up the entire dish. Bravo!
Brian Jones
Sunday 24th of July 2016
My food can sometimes be complex but often times simplicity is just as valid, the balsamic drizzle really is awesome, to be honest I reckon I could squeeze that stuff on just about anything... It works wonders on strawberries :o
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Tuesday 5th of July 2016
I do find myself relying on meat too much, because it seems easy. I want these mushrooms!
Brian Jones
Friday 8th of July 2016
I find it even more so when out on the BBQ, so it is good to change things up every now and again :)
Elizabeth
Tuesday 5th of July 2016
I absolutely love stuffed mushrooms and your recipe sounds like just the sort of way I like mine! Pinning to try later!
Brian Jones
Friday 8th of July 2016
I hope you enjoy them as much as we do :)
Azlin Bloor
Tuesday 5th of July 2016
A delightful recipe, Brian, like you, I love mushrooms full stop! These would be awesome al fresco!
Brian Jones
Friday 8th of July 2016
Shroom lovers Unite :D