I guess you could say that I LOVE perogies! I mean, who doesn't? And since I'm equally crazy about mushrooms, I decided the two shall meet in this Pierogi Stuffed Mushroom Recipe. It's both gluten-free and WW friendly (1 WW point on the blue plan)!
Mushrooms feel as Ukrainian as perogies to me; maybe because we ate a lot of mushrooms at Baba's and both her and Dad used to forage for wild mushrooms. And until this recipe, I had yet to taste better mushrooms than those. Maybe it was simply the thrill of wondering whether I'd live or die after eating them.
I recall my Dad talking about poisonous mushrooms and how you had to really know what you were picking. I always wondered how he could possibly know which mushrooms were the poisonous ones, given they all looked the exact same! When you're a kid, things are a bit more dramatic. But since he was also feeding them to some neighborhood kids, I assumed he was pretty darn confident in his foraging skills.
Ukrainian Recipes
Being Ukrainian I grew up on perogies and can't get enough of them. But you don't have to be Ukrainian to love perogies! Obviously. Or you wouldn't see pierogies all over the place, like in poutine at major league baseball games and in loaded perogy platter potato chips. It's comforting to know that the whole world loves perogies right along with me.
If you also love perogies and need even more of them in your life, then check out my Perogy Zucchini Boats, Pierogi Potato Salad and my Perogy Breakfast Casserole .And if you're looking for additional Ukrainian recipes, my Ukrainian food board on Pinterest has lots of Ukrainian recipe ideas!
Best Stuffed Mushrooms
I have eaten a lot of different kinds of stuffed mushrooms in my life, but these are the best stuffed mushrooms I've ever had. I may be a bit biased though, so you should really try them yourself. They are easy to make and you can use instant mashed potatoes or leftover mashed potatoes.
I also love this recipe because it's a tasty little appetizer that can be vegetarian as well (just leave out the bacon bits) and is only 1 Weight Watchers Freestyle Smart Point per mushroom! I recently brought it to a potluck at work and since I work with a number of people who don't eat pork or meat in general, I was able to please everyone and provide a vegetarian option that's equally delicious! These little guys were well-loved.
Anyway, back to Dad and the wild mushrooms....
Had some of those mushrooms actually been of the poisonous variety, I suspect it wouldn't have ended in death and I'd likely just have gotten sick. But when you're 7 and you hear poison, your mind automatically jumps directly to death. Either way, since these Pierogi Stuffed Mushrooms are the only mushrooms I've ever eaten that actually rivaled my Dad's wild mushrooms, I think I'll just stick with these from here on in.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram and hashtag #foodmeanderings or tag @foodmeanderings – I love seeing what you make!
Easy Pierogi Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 20 fresh, large white or brown mushrooms, washed and stemmed
- ½ cup instant mashed potatoes (prepare as per package directions) * or leftover mashed potatoes
- ½ cup low-fat sharp/old cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp sauerkraut, liquid squeezed out and finely chopped
- ½ onion, chopped finely
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp fat-free sour cream
- 2 tbsp real bacon bits
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 4 tbsp light parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp salt
Garnish:
- fresh parsley or dill
- fat-free sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray foil lined baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray
- Wash mushrooms, remove stems and set the stems aside . ( *The stems easily pop off when you gently pull them to the side). Finely chop HALF the stems.
- With a small spoon, gently scoop out mushrooms so there is room for stuffing. Add mushroom scrapings to finely chopped stems.
- In a microwave safe bowl, cook butter, onion, garlic and only HALF mushroom stems and scrapings from the mushroom for 4 minutes. You can save the other half, eat or discard in the compost bin.
- In a medium bowl, mix together instant mashed potatoes, cheese, bacon bits, sauerkraut, sour cream, salt, pepper. * Eliminate bacon bits if making vegetarian.
- Then add the onion, mushroom stem, butter garlic mixture and stir until combined.
- Stuff mushrooms,using a small spoon, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese, dividing evenly between all the mushrooms.
- Bake until for 15 - 20 minutes or until mushrooms are golden and cooked through.
Garnish
- Garnish with parsley or fresh dill, and sour cream if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
More WW friendly appetizers!
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers
4 Ingredient Caprese Salad Skewers (Gluten-free)
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Pizza Bites
Easy Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Mimi
Mmmmm....Who doesn't like perogies?! And when you add mushrooms to them, the world spins faster!!
Terri Gilson
I couldn’t agree more?
Lucy Parissi
This is a fantastic creation. I love both Pierogi and mushrooms so it's a winning combination for me.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Lucy!
Robin G
Yay! A GLUTEN FREE WAY TO GET MY PEIROGI FIX!
Terri Gilson
Yes it is! ?
Sherri
This is such a unique idea, I love it! Pierogies were always a childhood favorite of mine. I love that you have a vegetarian option too. This is such a perfect party appetizer that would please any crowd!
Jennifer
I love stuffed mushrooms. These look fantastic.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Jennifer!
sheenam | thetwincookingproject
Oh my!!! Have to give this a try!!!
Terri Gilson
Hope you enjoy it!
Sally
Great potluck contribution!! I loved these!! Flavorful and light.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Sally! Glad you enjoyed it!
Leanne
I love pierogies. I never heard of them being filled with sauerkraut (which I also love)... I also, go figure, love stuffed mushrooms. I want to try this sooo badly! If only someone could explain the sauerkraut aspect of the recipe. Then I’ll try and give feedback, thx 😊
Terri Gilson
Hi Leanne: yes, perogies filled with sauerkraut are a very popular variety of Ukrainian perogy! The sauerkraut in this recipe is very mild- you won't even know it's there! Yet it lends a really nice depth of flavor to this recipe. You can buy sauerkraut in a jar, near the pickles etc (or sometimes near canned veggies) squeeze the liquid out and chop it! I hope you enjoy the recipe! I'd love to hear what you think so please come back and comment and rate it! Thanks, Terri