These mushrooms are stuffed with Fall. Wild rice? Check. Sweet potato. Double check. And a little dice of pancetta slides them into the Italian neighborhood. Sage amps up the fall factor and because I couldn’t resist…a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese.

I almost forgot the sherry vinegar honey glaze that adds a tangy sweetness.

stuffed portabello mushroom on a white dish with pine nuts sprinkled nearby
These wild rice stuffed Portobellos make a satisfying dinner.

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When I need a party bite, these Boursin stuffed mushrooms are what I make.

Moving on to portobellos. Or portabellas? Maybe it’s portobella (spoiler: all work).

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Choosing portobello mushrooms for stuffing

white platter with 3 portabello mushrooms on it
Tops and bottoms of portobello mushrooms ready for stuffing.

When looking to stuff a portobello, here are some features for selecting a good stuffing mushroom:

  • a uniform color on the cap – no spots!
  • smooth not slimy texture
  • dry gills (that’s the dark filter-like matter around the stem)
  • large with a deep cavity to pack in the maximum amount of stuffing

Wild rice and sweet potato filling

This mushroom filling epitomizes Fall. It has a few components but still lots of flexibility.

white platter with portobellos, two halves of sweet potato and diced pancetta
Large stuffed mushroom filling ingredients includes sweet potato, pancetta and some sage.

For the wild rice, I really like this wild rice blend from Lundberg. A classic wild rice works as well but be sure to follow the package instructions for cooking time and liquid ratios.

I toss some diced sweet potato with olive oil, a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper and roast them until golden for about 20 minutes.

How to make sweet potato stuffed portobellos

Prep: Clean mushrooms for stuffing

wooden board with portobello mushrooms upside down and gills being scraped
Use a small spoon (a baby spoon would be great here too) to scrape out the inside of the portobellos.

Before I stuff the portobellos, I clean them thoroughly. There is no need to soak or wash mushrooms in a sink of water. Mushrooms are inherently watery so adding more water to them is going to make them even more…watery. Which means they end up soggy.

My simple method for cleaning large portobello mushrooms includes damp paper towels and an ordinary kitchen spoon.

  1. Using a lightly moistened paper towel, I wipe down the outside of the caps until they’re clean. I keep folding the paper towel as you go to use a clean side as you pass over the cap.
  2. Next, use a small knife and cut around to loosen and remove the stem trying to keep it in one piece if possible. Set the stem aside.
  3. With the tip of a teaspoon, carefully scrape the gills off exposing the white flesh underneath. Discard the gills.

Make the filling

sauteed pancetta in sauce pan
Cook up pancetta until crisp and remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain (top left).
roasted sweet potatoes on a sheet pan
Meanwhile, toss sweet potatoes on a sheet pan with olive oil and roast until golden.
sauteed onion in olive oil
In the same pan, onion in olive oil until golden and add the garlic until your can smell it, for about 30 seconds.
Brown the wild rice in the pan and then…
saucepan with chicken broth and rice and wooden paddle
add the broth and cook according to package directions.

Stuff the mushrooms

baking tray with stuffed portobello mushrooms with a bowl of pine nuts.
Chop up the mushroom stems and then add to a bowl with the rice and roasted sweet potatoes. Spoon into the cleaned mushroom caps and sprinkle over goat cheese. Bake.
stuffed portobello mushrooms on a white dishes with little bowl of sherry honey.
Before serving, drizzle over the sherry honey glaze…this is the added little oomph that takes these stuffed mushrooms from good to your word for “even better than good.” If you want to add a little crushed red pepper, I’m not going to stop you.

Baking tips

  • Bake at a high heat so that the mushrooms don’t release a lot of water. You’re going to cook these babies at 400° until everything is nice and heated.
  • Sprinkle a little extra pancetta on top for garnish, texture and a pop of color.
  • Top with pine nuts after baking
stuffed portabello mushroom on a white dish with little bowl of sherry honey

If you have leftovers (and you might have to make extra to guarantee you have some), heat the oven to 400° and put the mushrooms on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. You also can heat them in a microwave for about 2-3 minutes.

photo of lori in a kitchen chopping

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baking tray with stuffed portobello mushrooms with a bowl of pine nuts.
5 from 3 votes

Baked Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (Large) with Sweet Potato, Wild Rice and Crispy Pancetta

Large portobello mushrooms are stuffed with roasted sweet potato and wild rice and baked in the oven for an easy weeknight dinner. A sprinkle of crispy pancetta and drizzle of my honey sherry vinegar glaze add the final salty-sweet touch.

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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Rice and potato combined cooking time:45 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

  • 4 large portobello mushrooms, firm and smooth

For the Filling

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling later
  • ½ cup diced pancetta, approx 2 ounces, reserve a little for garnish
  • ½ onion, finely chopped (approximately ½ cup)
  • 1 cup uncooked wild rice, I used Lundberg's – SEE NOTE BELOW
  • 1¾ cup chicken broth, or water
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, or olive oil
  • 1 sweet potato, washed and diced with skin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 ounces goat cheese, divided
  • 3 fresh sage leaves, rolled and sliced thin, (or 1 tsp dried sage)
  • ¼ cup pine nuts, plus extra for garnishing

For the Sherry Honey Glaze

  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°.

For the mushrooms

  • Using a small paring knife, carefully trim around the stem on the underside of the mushroom. Gently loosen the stem from the cap. Chop the stems and place in a medium sized bowl. Set the stems aside.
    4 large portobello mushrooms
  • With a small teaspoon, scrape the dark gills from the underside of the mushroom cap, exposing the pale light flesh below. Throw away the gills. (They are edible but if you add them to your rice mix, it might take on an unappetizing color).

For the Rice

  • In a small-medium sized saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the pancetta and saute for approximately 3 minutes until lightly crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta from the pan to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside. Leave the oil in the pan.
    1 Tablespoon olive oil, ½ cup diced pancetta
  • To the heated oil, add the chopped onion, season with a sprinkling of kosher salt and pepper and cook until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
    ½ onion
  • Add the wild rice and saute until toasted approximately 2 minutes.
    1 cup uncooked wild rice
  • To the wild rice, add the chicken broth (or water), butter and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a tight lid and lower the heat to a very low simmer. Cook according to package directions (typically 45 minutes).** SEE NOTE BELOW
    1¾ cup chicken broth, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Meanwhile, put the diced sweet potato on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast for about 20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and add to the bowl with the chopped mushroom stems
    1 sweet potato
  • Once the rice has finished cooking, toss it with the most of the pancetta (leave some for garnishing), the sweet potatoes and chopped mushroom stems. Add the fresh sage and half the goat cheese. Season to taste (approx 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper).
    3 ounces goat cheese, 3 fresh sage leaves

Assemble the Mushrooms

  • Fill each mushroom with 1/4 of the filling. Sprinkle each mushroom with some of the remaining goat cheese and pine nuts.
    ¼ cup pine nuts
  • Bake at 400° for 15-18 minutes until the goat cheese is browned and the mushrooms are just starting to create a little water. Keep an eye on them!
  • While the mushrooms are baking, stir up the glaze ingredients in a small bowl
    2 Tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
  • Drizzle the glaze liberally over the mushrooms. Sprinkle with some fresh sage, some pancetta and extra pine nuts.

Notes

Notes:
  • You can use a quick cooking wild rice (like Uncle Ben’s). Just follow the instructions on the package for cooking times and water/broth amounts.
Make Ahead:
    • Cook the rice and roast the sweet potato ahead of time. Toss with sage, seasonings and goat cheese. You might need a little bit of chicken broth drizzled in to moisten the rice. 
Storing/Reheating
    • Refrigerate in a covered container.
    • Reheat according to baking instructions above or in the microwave on a paper towel lined microwave-safe plate for approximately 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: -9kcal
Course: brunch, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Comfort food
Calories: -9kcal
Author: Lori Murphy
Like this? Leave a commentI love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @josieandnina and #josieandnina!
woman in a red shirt cutting pizza smiling.

About Lori Murphy

Lori has over 30 years in the food industry as a marketing strategist, culinary instructor and chef for three kids with discerning palates. As the chief content creator at Josie + Nina, Lori is dedicated to helping home cooks create food memories through fresh ingredients and Italian flavors.

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