Balkan Ajvar Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms 🍄✨

Description

Balkan Ajvar Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms are juicy roasted mushroom caps filled with creamy white brined cheese, ajvar, garlic, walnuts, parsley, and a glossy paprika oil finish. They are rich, savory, smoky, and perfect as a warm meze plate with crusty bread, pickles, olives, or a rustic Balkan appetizer board. ✨

Hook ✨

Juicy mushrooms, creamy cheese, smoky ajvar, garlic, and walnuts make this Balkan appetizer bold, warm, and impossible to leave alone. 🍄

Ingredients

• Mushroom base 🍄
• 🍄 500 g large brown mushrooms, stems removed (16–18 pieces / 1.1 lb)
• 🫒 30 ml olive oil (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🧂 4 g fine sea salt (¾ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• ⚫ 1 g black pepper (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🍋 10 ml lemon juice (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• Ajvar cheese filling 🧀
• 🧀 180 g white brined cheese or feta, crumbled (1½ cups / 6.3 oz)
• 🌶️ 90 g ajvar (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp / 3.2 oz)
• 🥣 50 g thick yogurt or sour cream (3 tbsp / 1.8 oz)
• 🧄 8 g garlic, finely grated (2 cloves / 0.28 oz)
• 🌰 40 g walnuts, finely chopped (⅓ cup / 1.4 oz)
• 🌿 15 g fresh parsley, chopped (½ cup / 0.5 oz)
• 🌶️ 2 g sweet paprika (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• ⚫ 1 g black pepper (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• Finish ✨
• 🫒 20 ml olive oil (1 tbsp + 1 tsp / 0.68 fl oz)
• 🌶️ 2 g sweet paprika (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🌿 5 g fresh parsley, chopped (2 tbsp / 0.18 oz)
• 🌰 10 g walnuts, crushed (1 tbsp / 0.35 oz)
• 🥖 300 g warm crusty bread, for serving (10.6 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Prepare the mushrooms 🍄
2. Heat the oven to 210°C (410°F). Clean the mushrooms with a damp towel, remove the stems, and place the caps on a parchment-lined baking tray.
3. 2️⃣ Season and pre-roast 🔥
4. Brush the mushrooms with olive oil, then season with salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Roast for 8 min so they soften slightly and release a little moisture.
5. 3️⃣ Mix the filling 🧀
6. In a bowl, combine crumbled white brined cheese, ajvar, yogurt, garlic, walnuts, parsley, sweet paprika, and black pepper. Mix until creamy but still textured.
7. 4️⃣ Fill generously 🥄
8. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and carefully spoon away any excess liquid from the caps. Fill each mushroom with the ajvar cheese mixture, mounding it slightly.
9. 5️⃣ Bake until golden 🍄
10. Return the stuffed mushrooms to the oven and bake for 12–14 min, until the filling is hot, the edges are lightly golden, and the mushrooms look juicy and glossy.
11. 6️⃣ Make paprika oil 🌶️
12. Warm olive oil in a small pan for 30 sec. Add sweet paprika and stir for 5–8 sec, then remove from the heat immediately so the paprika stays fragrant and does not burn.
13. 7️⃣ Finish and serve ✨
14. Drizzle the warm paprika oil over the stuffed mushrooms. Sprinkle with parsley and crushed walnuts. Serve warm with crusty bread.

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 18 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 22 min
🛋 Rest: 5 min
⏰ Total: 45 min

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