How to Make the Most of Mushrooms

Budget-friendly, low in calories and packed with goodness, there are plenty of good reasons to add more mushrooms into your diet. From chestnut and button, to oyster and shiitake, mushrooms come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re much more versatile than you might expect. 

Whether you’re adding them to your breakfast, or turning them into a meat-free main meal, we’ve got plenty of inspiration to help you make the most of mushrooms! 

Mushrooms for breakfast

A good source of B vitamins and antioxidants, mushrooms are ideal for starting your day off on the right foot. They pair well with bacon, sausages and eggs, so they’re often a staple of a cooked breakfast, although there are lots of different ways to dish them up for brekkie. 

One of our most popular recipes (despite the love/hate nature of its main ingredient!) is this simple and speedy Marmite Mushrooms on Toast. By melting together cream cheese and Marmite, you get a rich, velvety sauce with a lovely savoury flavour. 

Add in any mushrooms you like and serve on a slice of golden toast. This recipe is so easy to adapt for a variety of diets – use gluten-free bread or dairy-free cream cheese if you prefer. 

If you’d rather skip the Marmite but still fancy something toasted and cheesy in the morning, how about Mushroom and Rarebit Muffins? On the table in 15 minutes, we’ve kept all the flavour of the Welsh-inspired recipe, but said goodbye to lots of extra calories. 

Instead of a buttery roux, we’ve topped each muffin with a mixture of reduced-fat cheese, mushrooms, mustard powder and Henderson’s relish, with an egg yolk for richness. Melt it under the grill until it’s golden, gooey and gorgeous. 

Savoury pancakes are something a little bit different for breakfast, and a perfect way to use up any mushrooms you have in the kitchen. You won’t want to miss these Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pancakes from Pinch of Nom: Enjoy. 

Once you’ve perfected your pancake, load it up with chopped bacon and mushrooms in an irresistibly silky cream cheese sauce. Folded up and sprinkled with Parmesan, all you need is a cuppa on the side to kick-start your day!

For anyone who’s more of a ‘on-the-go’ breakfaster, mushrooms don’t need to be off the menu. Whip up a batch of these Breakfast Muffins and you’re all set for the next few days. You can put pretty much anything you like in them, and we say the more the merrier when it comes to mushrooms!

High in protein, an egg-based breakfast sets you up for the day ahead, keeping you full and fuelled all the way through to lunchtime. 

Mushrooms as a main

Building your lunch or dinner recipes around mushrooms is a good way to put a variety of cost-effective, flavourful and healthy meals on the table. If you fancy experimenting with a different type of mushroom, pick up some shiitakes – they’re a little more rich and savoury than chestnuts or buttons. 

Wholesome and warming, our Chicken, Shiitake Mushroom and Chilli Broth is delicious rain or shine. At 301 calories per serving, you’ll find there’s bags of flavour in every single slurp. 

When you’re after something a little more hearty, you can’t go wrong with a pie. This Chicken and Mushroom Pie nestles creamy chicken and mushrooms underneath a crispy, golden filo pastry topping. 

Keeping it more slimming friendly than a shortcrust-topped pie, the light filo helps each portion come in at just 247 calories: we’d say that’s an excuse to serve it with a comforting side of Homemade Oven Chips!

Cut down on meat and plan this Mushroom Carbonara for one night next week. Served with pasta, in a velvety cheesy sauce, mushrooms have never tasted so good! You can use chestnut, button mushrooms or a combination of both to make this recipe – whatever needs using up!

At 466 calories per serving, it works out much lighter than restaurant versions, while still bringing a taste of indulgence with every forkful. 

Mushrooms work especially well as a meat alternative in lots of different Italian-inspired dishes. This Mushroom Bolognese is super slimming friendly, made with minced mushrooms, simmered in a rich tomato sauce. 

Packed with finely-chopped veggies, this is a perfect family dinner recipe – even the fussiest eaters around the table will enjoy every bite. 

We’ve used flat mushrooms for the filling of this Mushroom and Spinach Lasagne, although any variety will give it a flavour and texture that’s so delicious you won’t miss the meat. 

Layered up with wholewheat lasagne sheets and creamy ricotta, this recipe ticks all the boxes for a seriously comforting dinner. It’s satisfying enough to enjoy on its own, or even more delicious when you add a side of Cheesy Garlic Bread.

Raid your store cupboard, grab any leftover mushrooms and rustle up this Mushroom Chilli in under an hour. Brimming with goodness, it’s super low in calories, with just 164 in each serving. 

Dish it up with a side of fluffy rice and a dollop of cooling fat-free yoghurt, or get creative! We love how versatile chilli is, so you can pair it with mash, chips, or a jacket potato to keep it interesting.

Mushrooms as a side dish

If you’re not mixing mushrooms into your main meal, put them in the spotlight as a side dish! Fried, sautéed or roasted, you can serve mushrooms with pretty much any meal for some added nutrients. 

This Balsamic Mushrooms recipe is one of the easiest sides to make, but it won’t let you down on flavour. A simple combo of garlic, soy sauce, honey and balsamic vinegar gives the mushrooms a savoury, sweet, sticky glaze – all for just 57 calories per serving. 

Topped with crunchy golden breadcrumbs, we could eat this Cheesy Mushroom Bake all by itself. It makes for an epic side dish, adding creamy garlic flavours and crunchy texture to your plate.

It’ll complement almost any menu – try it with chicken, or spoon some onto your next Sunday roast. Slimming friendly, quick and so easy to make, it’ll be your new favourite way to serve mushrooms. 

Ready to make the most of mushrooms?

We’d love to hear what mushroom dishes make it onto your menu! If you’re not already part of our Facebook group, it’s so quick and easy to join. You’ll be joining a community of almost 1 million people on a slimming journey just like yours! It’s the place to be for sharing photos, recipe tips, ideas and inspiration. 

You can always stop by our PON Gallery for recipe inspiration too; there’s no shortage of hints, tips, quotes and photos shared by our incredible community.

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