Meze & olive-oil dishes Snacks & starters Turkish

Stuffed mushrooms with kaşar cheese

Name: Stuffed mushrooms with kaşar cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 16 large button mushrooms, with stalks, about 600 g in total; 1 tbsp olive oil, for brushing the caps; 2 tbsp butter; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus a little to serve; ½ tsp Turkish chilli flakes (pul biber); salt and freshly ground black pepper; 150 g kaşar cheese, grated; or mozzarella or a mild cheddar

Big mushroom caps filled with their own stalks fried in garlic butter, topped with kaşar (a mild Turkish cow's-milk cheese) and baked until bubbling – a favourite hot meze.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Jump to recipe

Known in Turkey as fırında kaşarlı mantar, these are a fixture of meyhane meze spreads and one of the first plates to disappear at any get-together. Instead of throwing the stalks away, you chop them, fry them in garlic butter and pack them back into the caps, which adds a lot of flavour for no extra cost.

Kaşar is a mild, springy Turkish cow's milk cheese that melts beautifully. If you can't find it in a Turkish shop, use mozzarella or a mild cheddar – or a mix of the two.

Servings 4

Ingredients

Tick them off as you go.

Mushrooms and filling

16 large button mushrooms, with stalks, about 600 g in total
1 tbsp olive oil, for brushing the caps
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus a little to serve
½ tsp Turkish chilli flakes (pul biber)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping

150 g kaşar cheese, grated; or mozzarella or a mild cheddar

Method

Tap a step when it's done; in cook mode the next one is highlighted.

Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth, then gently twist out the stalks, taking care not to crack the caps. Brush the outsides with olive oil, sit them hollow-side up on a baking tray and season the insides with a tiny pinch of salt.
~7 min
Trim the dry ends from the stalks, then chop the stalks and garlic very finely.
~4 min
Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped stalks and cook for 4 minutes until their juices have evaporated and they begin to colour, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Take off the heat and stir in the parsley, chilli flakes, salt and pepper.
~5 min
Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps, pressing it down lightly, then pile the grated cheese on top.
~3 min
Bake on the middle shelf for 13–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden in places and the mushrooms are tender and just starting to weep their juices.
~15 min
Leave to settle for a minute, then scatter over the reserved parsley and serve hot.
~1 min

Enjoy!

The mushroom in this recipe

Large button mushroom Agaricus bisporus

About this species Grow it at home Fresh mushrooms

Mushroom swaps

Chestnut / cremini mushroom Agaricus bisporusFirmer and more aromatic; cooks in the same time.
Portobello mushroom Agaricus bisporusOne per person is enough; add 5 minutes to the baking time.

Tips

Don't wash the mushrooms – wipe them. Waterlogged mushrooms go soggy in the oven.
Stir 1 tbsp breadcrumbs into the filling to soak up any juices and help it hold together.
Swap half the cheese for a sharper aged cheese for more punch.

Storage

Best eaten straight from the oven. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 day; reheat in a 180 °C oven for 5–6 minutes. The microwave makes them watery.

Read our guide to storing mushrooms →

If you liked this

All recipes

Breakfast Mushroom quiche A French-style quiche with homemade buttery shortcrust, filled with chestnut mushrooms, leek, thyme and Gruyère in a soft, just-set custard. 1 hr 38 min Chestnut mushroom Mains Mushroom güveç (baked in a clay pot) A Turkish clay-pot bake of mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes cooked in butter and their own rich juices, with an optional melted-cheese topping. 1 hr Button mushroom Breakfast Mushroom börek A Turkish tray börek made with ready-made yufka, a well-browned mushroom and parsley filling and a simple egg and milk sauce. Perfect for breakfast or with afternoon tea. 1 hr 40 min Button mushroom

Kitchen guides

Before you cook: clean, store, dry

How to clean mushroomsPractical ways to clean everything from button mushrooms to morels without waterlogging them or ruining their texture.

How to store mushroomsHow to keep fresh, cooked, frozen and dried mushrooms at their best — and how to tell when they’ve gone bad.

How to dry mushroomsA step-by-step guide to drying mushrooms at home in the oven, in a dehydrator or on a string — and how to store and rehydrate them.