I wanted to create a spooky southwestern-inspired recipe that was perfect for my Halloween appetizer bar. After I put together these lighter Pumpkin Spice Candied Walnut Brains I something more savory. Of course I also wanted an appetizer that was going to fit well with the whole haunted woods vibe that my appetizer bar was going to be putting off. So this Bewitched Green Chile Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Recipe was born! Definitely all about the Halloween appetizer recipes lately. This recipe has been adapted from this Mouth-Watering Stuffed Mushrooms written by Angie Gorkoff.

The problem with Halloween appetizer recipes for me is that some of them are too kid focused. If you have kids, that’s great! But if you’re looking to create an atmosphere for adults it can get a little tricky.

Bewitched Green Chile Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Recipe

Now I’m not going to lie. I was really worried about this recipe. This is definitely more complicated than any of the other Halloween appetizer recipes I’ve made. I have never in my life used fresh mushrooms to cook with. So I was naturally really nervous about properly cleaning and processing them! But I’m here to tell you that it’s really no big deal. If I can do it pre-6 AM, and sleep deprived so can you.

Preparing the Mushrooms

How to Clean Your Mushrooms

Basically you can actually wash them, but it’s not recommended. If you do this, they’re going to brown a little weird. Mushrooms are mostly water. It’s the same reason that their flavor can intensify over time as they dry out!

The method I found works best is below:

1. Take a damp paper towel and gently clean them via wiping. Even if the mushrooms are white, they will probably naturally have some brown. So you’re not going crazy if their color isn’t a stark white.
2. Take another damp paper towel to polish away any other organic matter. Your paper towel should eventually just be white. That’s how you know it’s clean!

Just to give you a photographic reference, here’s how mine looked before and after cleaning.

Removing the Stems

The next thing you’ll need to do is to break the stems off of the cap. Instructions can be found below:

1. Grasp the cap firmly with one hand.
2. Use your other hand to firmly pull the stem back. With some I found that a slight twist helped. Others needed to be pulled straight back.

Either way if you leave remnants it’s okay, because you can use a spoon’s tip to pop those out. It is very important to note that whether pulling or popping out the stem it can damage the cap exterior. Which isn’t the worst thing. It will taste the same in the end!

Cooking Your Mushroom Stuffing

After preheating your oven you’ll be chopping your mushroom stems up. You will notice there are some bits that are extremely tough, don’t use these! These are the piles I separated mine into. You’ll notice that the stem parts that are tougher are also darker in color.

You’re going to use the part of the stems that is soft. Add these, some garlic and oil to a pan. You’re going to cook  this mixture until all of the moisture is gone.

Once you get to this point just let it cool for a bit.

At this point I was really wondering where I was taking this recipe. I kind of decided to take inspiration from my mom’s Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole.Now you’re going to throw in some cream cheese, chopped and drained green chile, onion powder and shredded mexican cheese.

Next, take this mixture and spoon it into the mushroom caps. I would place these on parchment paper to guarantee there is no sticking.

Bake these bad boys for about twenty-ish minutes. Once you begin to see water pooling underneath your mushroom caps, you’ll know they’re ready!

This is one of my favorite Halloween appetizer recipes. What are some of yours?

Bewitched Green Chile Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 whole fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup Mexican style shredded cheese
• 8 oz package of cream cheese
• vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 small can of green chile

Instructions

1. Clean all mushrooms with a damp paper towel until all organic matter is gone. Firmly grasp mushroom cap with one hand and pull the stem with the alternate hand. Remove any remaining stem with spoon tip.
2. Slice mushroom stem finely, dividing tough woody bits with soft stem pieces.
3. Place vegetable oil, minced garlic and soft mushroom stem pieces in a pan. Heat until all moisture is gone.
4. Add drained can of green chile, cream cheese, onion powder and Mexican style shredded cheese.
5. Spoon cream cheese mixture into mushroom caps seated on parchment paper.
6. Bake for twenty minutes (or until you see water pooling underneath) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Let cool briefly & enjoy!