National Stuffed Mushroom Day Date in the current year: February 4, 2024

Stuffed mushrooms is a dish consisting of mushroom caps that are turned over, stuffed with a filling, and then baked or broiled. The history of the dish is rather murky but it is believed to have originated in Italy sometime between the mid-19th century and the early 20th century because mushrooms are a common ingredient in Italian cuisine, besides, stuffed mushrooms closely resemble the stuffed zucchini, a popular Italian dish. Like many dishes with European roots, stuffed mushrooms were probably brought to the United States by immigrants.

Stuffed mushrooms can be made with any edible mushrooms that have a large enough cap. Portobello mushrooms are one of the most popular mushroom varieties for this dish because they are large and regular-shaped, as well as widespread and affordable.

It would be probably more appropriate to say that “stuffed mushrooms” is an umbrella term for a whole category of mushroom-based dishes because of the impressive variety of fillings that mushroom caps can be stuffed with. Common filling ingredients include breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, herbs (basil, chives, parsley), mushroom stems, meats (pork, sausage), and vegetables (bell pepper, garlic, onion, spinach, tomato).

The filling ingredients are usually finely chopped and may be sautéed, but sautéeing is an optional step. Breadcrumbs and shredded cheese are often sprinkled on top of the filling rather than mixed into it, and chopped fresh herbs may be sprinkled on top of the cooked stuffed mushrooms before serving.

When stuffing mushroom caps with the filling, it is important to remember that they will shrink during cooking, so make sure not to overstuff them. Stuffed mushroom caps may be drizzled with olive oil before cooking; they are typically baked or broiled in a baking dish, but they can also be cooked on skewers. 

Depending on the recipe and occasion, stuffed mushrooms can be served hot, at room temperature or cold, as an appetizer, side dish or snack. Regardless of the temperature and their role in the meal, stuffed mushrooms are absolutely delightful and definitely deserve to be celebrated.

Like with many unofficial food days, the origins of National Stuffed Mushroom Day are unclear, but you shouldn’t let this stop you from celebrating it. There are many ways to observe the holiday: you can go out to your favorite restaurant that serves stuffed mushrooms, make the dish at home, throw a dinner party where you will serve stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer or side dish, share your favorite stuffed mushroom recipes or try new ones, etc. 

And don’t forget to snap a photo of your delicious stuffed mushrooms and post it on social media with the hashtags #NationalStuffedMushroomDay and #StuffedMushroomDay to spread the word and encourage others to celebrate National Stuffed Mushroom Day too.