• Preheat your oven to 400F/204C. Line a large baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper.

Preparing the Mushrooms:

• Using a damp paper towel, wipe the mushrooms clean of any dirt and debris.
• Gently twist and remove each mushroom stem and save it for later. Using a small teaspoon, scoop out the mushroom membrane and/or flesh from the inside to create more room for the filling.
• Clean the mushroom stems, then dice them finely. You’ll need about 1 cup of diced mushrooms. If you don’t have enough stems, add whole diced mushrooms.
• Place the mushrooms upside down (with hollowed centers down) onto the baking sheet. Bake them for 15 minutes for larger mushrooms; 9 minutes for smaller mushrooms.
• Once baked, flip the mushrooms right side up and use paper towels to mop up any liquids released during the baking process.

Making the Filling:

• Preheat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of cooking oil. Remove the sausage from its casing (if necessary), break it apart into smaller pieces and add into the hot pan.
• Fry the sausage for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the sausage is fully cooked. Use a spatula to break up the ground meat into smaller pieces as it cooks. Remove the cooked sausage into a clean bowl and set it aside to cool.
• Into the same pan, add a few tablespoons of butter, then the bell pepper, shallots, and the diced mushroom stems. Sauté the mixture for 7 to 9 minutes, until the pepper is tender.
• Transfer this cooked pepper and mushroom mixture into a separate bowl and set aside.
• Next, prepare the filling. Place the softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl and use a spatula to cream and blend the cheese.
• Add in the rest of the filling ingredients: grated gouda, parmesan, all the seasonings and spices, and last the cooked sausage and pepper mixture. Mix the filling ingredients together thoroughly, until a creamy uniform mixture forms.

Assembling the Stuffed Mushrooms:

• Using a small spoon, begin filling the prebaked mushrooms. First, press a small amount of filling into the mushroom, then add a heaping spoonful of the filling on top, shaping it into a large dome.
• In a small bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs and melted butter. Season the mixture with a bit of garlic powder and fresh parsley. Toss everything together until the crumbs are well coated in the butter.
• Add a generous amount of the topping over each mushroom. Do this with the mushroom over the mixing bowl so you don’t lose the crumbs onto the pan.

Baking Instructions:

• Increase the oven temperature to 425F/218C and bake the stuffed mushrooms for 23 to 25 minutes, until the filling is piping hot, and the breadcrumb topping is golden brown. If the topping starts to get too dark, lay a sheet of foil over the top.
• The mushrooms will be super-hot at first so allow them to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before enjoying!