Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

1. Cottage cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together96 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

2. Mushroom + garlictop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,700 recipes

   Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

3. Garlic + peppertop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together27,090 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

4. Mushroom + breadtop 10% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together2,536 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

5. Mushroom + mozzarella cheesetop 10% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together439 recipes

   Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Portobello mushrooms

Large caps act as edible cups that hold the filling while baking.

Egg

Binds the filling so it holds together when baked.

Cottage cheese

Adds moisture and creaminess to the filling.

Mozzarella cheese

Melts into the filling and adds stretchy, savory richness.

Crackers or bread crumbs

Absorb moisture and give the filling body and structure.

The step that matters

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mushroom, vinegar, egg, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, bread, pepper):

1. Garlicthe original
2. Parsleyfits about as well
3. Basilfits about as well
4. Thymefits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against mushroom, vinegar, egg, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, bread, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.