Hot Mushroom Canapes

Use easily available Baby Bella Mushrooms for these hot canapes. White button mushrooms will work too, so whichever kind of mushrooms you use, be sure to wash them and remove any black debris. Typically white button mushrooms or Baby Bella Mushrooms take up to 10 minutes to cook and are easy to saute.

Depending on the types of canapes you make, the kind of cheese you use can vary. However, these hot canapes go best with good melting cheese, like a Fiesta blend (Mexican Cheese), Cheddar and mozzarella cheese, or Monterey Jack and Colby.

Avoid sharp and over-aged cheeses for this savory mushroom filling. Were going for an easy to melt cheese that melts seamlessly and is mild in flavor. I used a Fiesta blend cheese from Walmart that was already shredded and ready to use.

Use dense and chewy bread such as a French Baguette for canapes. French bread is typically a smaller loaf of bread and has a nice crisp crust. I like to bake my own French Baguettes at home however, most grocery stores offer fresh baguettes at the bakery or par-baked French bread that you can finish baking at home.

To Make Canapes in advance, make the filling earlier and do all the prep work at least 3 days in advance for best results. Store the filling in an airtight container and keep refrigerated until needed.

Meanwhile, slice the French bread into 3/8″-1/2″ thick slices. Keep the bread stored in a gallon-sized freezer bag and keep frozen until the night before baking. Thaw the bread slices completely before assembling and baking the canapes.

Note: freezing bread retains the freshness and helps prevent the bread from going stale. Stale bread will make a drier and crispier piece of bread once baked.

Baked canapes, can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or revive the crispiness of the bread by reheating them in a 350°F oven for 5-8 minutes. See my make-ahead instructions for making these canapes in advance.

Canape plates are small appetizer plates, typically smaller than a salad plate to hold only a few hors d’oeuvres. Think of a mini-size plate usually served under a teacup.

These vegetarian canapes can be vegan with vegan-approved cheese and mayo. I love these so much I wouldn’t mind having them as Christmas party canapes! So, sautee these vegetables and don’t skimp on the butter–it’s where the flavor is!

To begin, make sure you wash and dry your mushrooms.

1. Preheat your non-stick pan or skillet over medium heat.
2. Dice your onion and add to the hot pan with 2 tbsp of unsalted butter. Carmelize for 3-5 minutes until translucent and lightly browned. Transfer fried onions to a medium-sized bowl.
3. Place the same skillet back over the heat and add another 2 tbsp of butter and all the chopped mushrooms. Sautee the mushrooms until most of the mushroom juices have evaporated (about 5 minutes.) Add to the onions.
4. To the fried mushroom and onion mixture add crushed garlic and all the remaining ingredients. I like to combine all the ingredients together when it’s warm from the skillet, so the cheese can semi-melt and become wet. This also helps make for a velvety mushroom topping.
5. Keep in an airtight container until needed.
6. To bake canapes, arrange sliced French bread over a large baking pan. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling over each slice and slightly spread out.
7. Bake at 350°F for 8 minutes. Don’t overbake, the cheese will dry out.

Note: I don’t drain any of the fats or liquid after sauteeing. This makes a creamy and silk filling.

Smoked Salmon canapes are best cold and spread with cream cheese or softened butter spread.  Here are some ideas for hot canapes that you can customize;

• Tuna Canape- make tuna melts or just mix with mayo and diced tomatoes with black pepper.
• Chicken Canape- mix together canned chicken, Mexican cheese, mayo,  and diced tomatoes.
• Crab Canapes- shred crab meat and mix with mayo, crushed garlic, and mozzarella cheese.
• Lobster-  chop lobster and mix together with swiss cheese and melted butter to make a seafood canape! Add garlic salt and Old Bay seasoning to bring out the seafood flavors.
• Leftover Ham or Turkey- got leftover ham or turkey from Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner? Chop those up and toss them in cheese to melt and make canapes!

Although mushrooms are rich in antioxidants, they are categorized as a vegetable for cooking purposes. Nutritional benefits vary depending on the type of mushroom. Generally, mushrooms are low-calorie and high in fiber vegetables with vitamins and minerals.

Mushroom canapes are a delicious snack or appetizer alongside many main dishes. Here are some ideas to blend into your menu!

• Serve to a hot bowl of soup. We served it with Borscht before.
• Make a batch of hot canapes along with other cold sandwiches for a lunch variation!
• Pair it with green Salads.
• Canapes go well with Pasta.  
• Top it over multigrain toast and make a hot and filling mushroom sandwich.

Hors d’oeuvres is a savory appetizer, usually small in size and served before a meal. It is a popular reception food and falls into the same category of finger foods and canapes.