Easy Weeknight Dinners: Mushrooms Three Ways

Meatless Meal Planning

Meal prepping vegetarian meals can present challenges that aren’t true of meat dishes. One big one is that precooked vegetables can lose their texture when reheated. Instead, try prepping all your vegetables ahead of time instead of cooking them. Peel your carrots, slice your zucchini and clean your mushrooms, so that when the time comes to use your produce, it’s all ready to cook. When prepping vegetables, it can also be beneficial to portion out the vegetables you’ll need for a recipe, removing any work other than the cooking from your already busy weeknight.

Mushrooms are often used as a meat replacement in vegetarian dishes, because when they’re seasoned correctly, they can take on a meat-like quality in texture and taste. However, mushroom recipes, like other veggies, can be a little tricky to prep ahead of time as they’re prone to losing their texture or flavor when cooked ahead. Simply wash and cut your mushrooms to size ahead of time and store in the fridge until use.

Easy Mushroom Dishes for Weeknights

Mushrooms are a great way to infuse a meaty, umami-rich flavor into any dish. They’re a great ingredient for weeknight meals because they cook so quickly. For something easy to grab and go, try this mushroom and goat cheese French bread pizza. If you’re curious about replacing meat with plantbased options in some of your favorite recipes, try these mushroom meatballs or even mushroom gyros.

Types of Mushrooms

Incorporating more plant-based options into your weekly meal plan can seem intimidating, but it’s not so hard once you get down to it. When it comes to using mushrooms in your vegetarian meals, it’s best to focus on texture, as many mushrooms absorb complementing flavors very well. Mushroom recipes can range from options that allow the mushrooms to shine through with their own flavors or meatless recipes that replace meat with meatier mushrooms.

Not sure which mushrooms to use for which recipes? Here’s a quick guide to help you.

Button

While these mushrooms aren’t the meatiest, they’re great at adding texture to dishes. Button mushrooms soak up a lot of flavor and can taste totally different depending on how you season them.

Cremini

These mushrooms are a great substitute for beef in recipes. Try them in your favorite meat sauce or combine them with a legume like lentils to create meatballs.

Oyster

These mushrooms have a nautical name, and just happen to be the perfect meatless seafood replacement. They can cook quickly but the longer you let them cook, the more their taste will mimic the mild sweetness of some seafoods. These are great in a meatless clam chowder or in a stir-fry.

King Oyster Mushroom

Bigger than the regular oyster mushroom, these are great for a seafood substitute in recipes where the meat stands alone. These can be great replacements for scallops but can also be seasoned to taste more like a pulled pork for sandwiches.

Portobello

These mushrooms can do double duty. They have a ton of rich, mushroom flavor great for recipes where you’d want to showcase that natural earthy flavor, but they have also been widely used as a meat substitute. They soak up marinades well and are hearty enough to be grilled. Try them on sandwiches or replace your beef patty with a portobello on your burger.

Shitake

Perfect for roasting, these are great alongside sweet potatoes and squash as an earthy addition to a grain bowl. Their meaty flavor makes them a great choice for stir-frys or as a plant-based bacon substitute.

Whether you just love the taste of mushrooms or you’re trying to eat less meat, mushrooms are a fantastic way to add additional nutrition and flavor to weeknight meals. Mushrooms are a forgiving produce option so don’t be afraid to experiment with them in different dishes. For more recipes and ideas for meal planning, visit our blog.