We’re officially living in the Shroom Boom. Mushrooms are seemingly everywhere lately as more home cooks are enlightened to their versatility in a wide array of simple dishes. They might take a little bit of care to select, clean, and prepare, but no matter what meal they’re a part of, mushrooms pay serious dividends in both flavor and depth. So here are The Takeout’s best ideas for what to do with those mushrooms: a crop of recipes that prove fungi are nothing to fear.
“Ketchup” was created 2,000 years ago as a way to preserve all sorts of foods, not just tomatoes, and various sauces like this mushroom ketchup were made by blending salted produce with spices and vinegar, then boiling the mixture down to a concentrated paste of intense flavor that could be preserved indefinitely. That’s what you’ll get here: This condiment can be slapped on top of a burger, stirred into soups, whipped into dip—you name it. Get the recipe for Mushroom Ketchup here.
This recipe for Green Bean Casserole Tart presents the same comforting flavors of a classic casserole in a fresh new way. A pound of sliced cremini mushrooms lend an earthy depth to this holiday staple; caramelized with the green beans before baking, they take on a character that is admittedly lacking in a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. Get the recipe for Green Bean Casserole Tart here.
This Mario Soup is a clever way to make picky kids enthusiastic about vegetables, because it contains various elements of the Super Mario Bros. universe: Super Stars (star pasta), Fire Flowers (fried artichokes), and Goombas (mushrooms). Red tomatoes are even a nod to Mario’s overalls. And hey, if your child doesn’t take to this stuff, it’s a fantastic meal for you, too. Get the recipe for Mario Soup here.
The store-bought canned version of this classic soup can be gloopy and pale, better used as an ingredient rather than being the main event. This version of Cream of Mushroom Soup is made much more complex thanks to a base of stock formed from boiling pork and chicken bones together, concentrating their flavors to achieve spectacular depth. It’s a meaty, umami dinnertime revelation that uses mushrooms three different ways. Get the recipe for Cream of Mushroom Soup here.
This recipe for Soy-Wasabi Butter Mushrooms takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish, and the resulting dish is a life-changer. (We wouldn’t say that unless we truly meant it.) Make it your go-to side dish when you’re looking for something satisfying, flavorful, and vegetarian. You can adjust the amount of wasabi if you can’t handle the heat, but you’ll want to stick with the specified amount of butter—butter is key. Get the recipe for Soy-Wasabi Butter Mushrooms here.
This recipe for Caramelized Mushroom Pasta incorporates two whole pounds of mushrooms, because when an ingredient tastes this good, why skimp on it? Simmering the mushrooms with olive oil until their moisture evaporates helps them caramelize to a rich amber color, concentrating and elevating their flavor. With this trick in your back pocket, you’ll never settle for mediocre mushrooms again. Get the recipe for Caramelized Mushroom Pasta here.
Runzas are stuffed yeast rolls by way of Nebraska, where they were popularized by German immigrants. Traditionally they’re filled with ground beef, onions, and either cabbage or sauerkraut—but we’ve swapped out the beef for lots of mushrooms, and the result is spectacular. Best of all, a can of beer is split between the dough and the filling. What could be better? Get the recipe for Mushroom & Beer Runzas here.
These Mushroom Fajitas prove how easy it is to make a vegetarian swap for steak without losing flavor or heft. This recipe also includes instructions for homemade pico de gallo and guacamole, so you can assemble the whole spread the next time you sit down to a big family meal or entertain guests. Get the recipe for Mushroom Fajitas here.
This recipe for mushroom bolognese tagliatelle comes from the Chicago restaurant Somerset, provided by Michelin-starred chef Lee Wolen. This vegetarian pasta feels like the last thing in the world that could be labeled vegetarian—it’s rich and indulgent, even for lifelong carnivores. The dish feels meaty and substantial, and it’s worth every minute you invest in it. Get the recipe for Somerset’s Mushroom Bolognese here.
Upon a sturdy canvas of white bread, gussied-up mushrooms take center stage, enrobed in a thick, cheesy sauce and runny egg yolk. The ooh-la-la part comes from the Mornay sauce, a a bechamel mixed with cheese; its flavors are deepened with mustard, aromatics, and bay leaves. You’ll hardly be able to get this meal onto a plate before digging in. Get the recipe for Mushrooms on Toast here.
Air fryers can take any produce from “okay” to “outstanding” in a matter of minutes, and if you’re wondering whether to invest in the countertop appliance, this recipe might be all the convincing you need. In addition to the mushrooms, cooked couscous gets its turn in the fryer basket, too, and the whole dish is livened up with bright lemon juice. Get the recipe for Air Fried Harissa Mushrooms here.
Lasagna is one of those dishes that can be sort of overwhelming to face. So many steps! Enter lazy lasagna, which eliminates all the layering by just using large cheese-filled ravioli to roll that into one step, no smearing or spreading involved. Boil ’em up, stack them in, and layer with homemade mushrooms and sauce. It’s far less fussy than traditional lasagna, but still almost entirely made from scratch. Get the recipe for Lazy Lasagna With Mushrooms And White Bolognese here.
A particularly memorable scene in the 2019 film Parasite is when the wealthy Park family tells the housekeeper to prepare a bowl of “ram-don.” Ram-don is a portmanteau of ramen and udon, an Americanized translation of a popular South Korean dish called jjapaguri—just two cheap packaged brands of instant noodles (Chapagetti and Neoguri) cooked together in the same pot. But the Parks’ version is elevated with seared Hanwoo beef, one of the most expensive meats in the world. Our recipe recreates that blend of luxurious and everyday flavors, complete with oyster mushrooms to add a touch of elegance. Get the recipe for Ram-don here.
To really stretch the outer limits of mushrooms’ versatility, you could always make this Haggis Pizza—and no, we’re not joking here. This eye-catching tavern-style pie is topped with mushrooms, chili flakes, potato sticks, curly parsley, mozzarella, and honest-to-god Scottish haggis crumbles for the protein. Haggis is essentially meat, filler, and a ton of spices, so it plays well against the earthy mushrooms and mellow spuds. Besides, who else can say they’ve made one fo these in their lifetime? Get the recipe for Haggis Pizza here.