How To Make Wild Mushroom Stuffing

Every year after Thanksgiving dinner, when the guests are gone and we’re scrubbing the last of the dishes, my family and I go over the meal in detail. What did we all scoop up seconds of, and what did we push to the sides of our plates? What would we make again next year, and what needs to go back to the drawing board?

At this point we’ve pretty much got the turkey (grilled), mashed potatoes (garlicky), and dinner rolls on lock. But every year, we’re not entirely sold on our sweet potato recipe, the vegetable side dish, and, most importantly, the stuffing. Why can’t we seem to master the perfect stuffing?

Honestly, I think we play it too safe. Switching to cornbread is too sharp of a pivot, and with so many vegetarians in our family, sausage is out of the question. But unlike the mashed potatoes and the dinner rolls, it feels like stuffing is a place where we can have a little fun.

That’s why this year I’m proposing a wild mushroom stuffing, which I’m confident will please both the stuffing purists (there’s still celery and parsley and thyme!) and the adventurous eaters alike. It’s so good, you won’t want to wait until Thanksgiving to eat it.

It’s kind of an arbitrary rule that we only eat stuffing at Thanksgiving. Really, stuffing isn’t much different than a strata or a savory bread pudding, which I’ll happily whip up any time of year.

While you can purchase mushrooms year-round, most wild mushroom varieties are at their peak in the fall and winter seasons. This stuffing is the perfect way to celebrate the start of chilly weather — it’s packed with in-season wild mushrooms (a mix of cremini, shiitake, and oyster) and an earthy blend of herbs, and is so cozy and comforting it will warm you right up. Plus, if you are thinking of making it for Thanksgiving, it never hurts to do a practice run.

Serve it as a hearty vegetarian main during the fall and winter seasons, then enjoy leftovers topped with a fried egg for breakfast. If you’re not serving a crowd, divide the mixture into two smaller casserole dishes (such as 8×8-inch), bake one immediately, then freeze the other for later enjoyment.

1. Use a mix of wild mushrooms. This stuffing is packed with rich, savory, umami flavor, thanks to a whopping 1 1/2 pounds of mixed wild mushrooms. While you can use all cremini or all shiitake with great results, a blend packs in the most interesting medley of flavors. Some grocery stores sell a pre-packaged sliced wild mushroom mix, while others sell their mushrooms in bulk bins. Either is perfectly fine.

2. Cook the mushrooms until the liquid is almost evaporated. As mushrooms cook, they shrink in size and release a lot of liquid. When you first add them all to the skillet, they’ll be heaped in a giant pile, but they’ll quickly cook down into a manageable amount. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re tender and most of the liquid has evaporated — about 15 to 20 minutes. A little liquid is okay (it’s packed with mushroom flavor, and will soak into the bread), but too much will make the stuffing soggy.

3. Pack in the fresh herbs. Mushrooms are delicious, yes, but they don’t exactly add a pop of color to any meal. A variety of fresh herbs — sage, thyme, and parsley — not only add quintessential stuffing flavor to this recipe, but they also add a welcomed pop of color that will make this stand out on the table, whether it’s Thanksgiving Day or not.

Read more: 10 Absolutely Delicious Ways to Cook With Mushrooms