Earthy and savory, luxurious Mushroom Pâté will soon be part of your regular recipe rotation. Made with dense, meaty cremini mushrooms (baby portabella), it’s easy to prepare, too! And, this scrumptious vegetarian pâté is so full of deep umami flavors, even your meat-eating friends will love it.

Mushroom Pate Recipe

One night, I had guests coming in from out of town and needed a quick appetizer. I wanted something hearty yet vegetarian, so I immediately thought of mushrooms. This Mushroom Pâté was born and it was a hit.

What is pate?

Pâté is a French word that literally translates to “paste” this is fairly descriptive of its texture. Traditionally made with cooked liver, today pâtes are a mixture of any chopped or puréed meat or vegetable combined with seasonings and served either in a terrine or sliced.

Is pâté only made with liver?

As mentioned above, today today pâtes are a mixture of any chopped or puréed meat or vegetable combined with seasonings.

What is Mushroom Pate made of?

Dense, meaty cremini mushrooms (baby portabella) are sautéed in garlic butter, finished with green onion and a bit of sherry, then mixed with fresh thyme leaves, melted cream cheese, lemon and cayenne pepper. Toasted pecans, added at the end, provide a bit of crunch. So easy, so elegant and super delicious.

Best Mushrooms for Making Pate

For this recipe I recommend using baby Portabella mushrooms – also called baby Bellas, or Crimini. They have a bit more flavor than the younger, white button mushrooms.

White rectangular serving tray showing three portions of Mushroom Pate

How to Make Pâté with Mushroom as the Star Ingredient

  1. Prep mushrooms.
    Remove stems from mushrooms, cut caps in half and thinly slice. (You can also chop them for a finer texture.)
  2. Cook garlic and mushrooms.
    In a large sauté pan or skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are soft and liquid evaporates.
  3. Add onion and sherry.
    Stir in the green onion and sherry; cook, stirring occasionally until liquid evaporates.
  4. Add thyme and cheese.
    Reduce heat to low; stir in thyme and cream cheese. Cook, stirring constantly, just until the cheese melts and mixture is well blended.
  5. Season; add pecans.
    Remove from heat and season to taste with lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir in chopped pecans.
  6. Mold and refrigerate.
    Press mixture into a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate several hours.
  7. Serve.
    Bring to room temperature. Serve with crackers, toasted baguette slices or toast points.

Blue bowl filled with Mushroom Pâté, with toasted baguette slices on the side

How do you store mushroom pâté?

Pâté should be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container or well wrapped with plastic wrap.

How long does pâté last in the refrigerator?

Pâté can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated.

Can pâté be frozen?

Yes, it freezes beautifully. Thaw at room temperature. It can also be prepared up to 2 days ahead and held in the refrigerator.

white serving platter showing three servings of Mushroom Pâté

What Should I Serve with Mushroom Pâté?

I like to serve this delectable pâté with toasted baguette slices, toast points or crackers. It’s also delicious alongside prosciutto.

How is pâté made?

There are many, many different ways to make pâté, depending on the ingredients, the texture desired and the ultimate look and taste. Sometimes the ingredients are cooked together first, then pressed into a terrine or other serving dish (as in this recipe). Others, the ingredients are placed in a terrine and then baked together. Sometimes the ingredients are puréed, others they are chopped.

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Blue bowl filled with Mushroom Pâté, with toasted baguette slices on the side

Mushroom Pate

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5 from 1 review

Earthy and savory, luxurious Mushroom Pâté will soon be part of your regular recipe rotation. Made with dense, meaty cremini (baby Portobello) mushrooms, it’s easy to prepare, too! And, it’s so full of deep umami flavors, even your meat-eating friends will love it.

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: Around 2 cups 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 16 ounces baby portabella (cremini) mushrooms
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
  • 1/3 cup chopped green onion (white, light green and some of the dark green portion)
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 6 ounces cream cheese
  • Juice from 1/2 to 1 lemon
  • Cayenne pepper, to taste
  • Salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
  • Crackers, toasted baguette slices or toast points

Instructions

  1. Remove the stems from the mushrooms, cut the caps in half and thinly slice.
  2. In a large sauté pan or skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are soft and liquid evaporates.
  3. Stir in the green onion and sherry; cook until liquid evaporates.
  4. Reduce heat to low; stir in thyme and cream cheese. Cook, stirring constantly, just until the cheese melts and mixture is blended.
  5. Remove from heat and season to taste with lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir in pecans.
  6. Press mixture into a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate several hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.
  7. Serve with crackers, toasted baguette slices or toast points.

Notes

Make ahead: Pâté can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated.

Gluten free: serve with gluten free crackers or toast points.

  • Author: (From “Fresh Tastes” by Lee Clayton Roper)
  • Category: appetizers, gluten free, easy to prepare
  • Method: sauté
  • Cuisine: French
Blue bowl filled with Mushroom Pâté, with toasted baguette slices on the side

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About the author

Hi, I'm Lee.

I am inspired by my mother, Sally’s, love of cooking and entertaining to gather friends and family together over great meals and conversation. In fact, I held my first dinner party at the age of 16. Throughout the years, I’ve provided recipes, menu advice and cooking tips to friends seeking uncomplicated and delicious ideas for home entertaining.


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