Healthy Mushroom Side Dish Recipes

Break out of your pasta routine by subbing in a baked potato in this simple and satisfying dinner for one.

In this vegetarian polenta casserole recipe, the choice of cheese is as important as which wild mushroom you use. Morel or hen of the woods (maitake) mushrooms give a more “meaty” experience, while chanterelle or cremini mushrooms will have a milder flavor. The polenta recipe calls for rich, nutty Taleggio or fontina cheese, but you can also use a good-quality washed rind cheese like Brie or Gouda.

Savoy cabbage, shiitake mushrooms and leeks are braised together in this earthy Italian side dish.

These simple sautéed mushrooms work as a quick, weeknight side dish. To turn them into a main course, toss with cooked pasta and a generous handful of Parmesan cheese or fold into an omelet with Gruyère, fontina or Swiss cheese.

Dashi gives this vegetable rice recipe its savory depth. Rinsing the rice may seem like an extraneous step but it removes some of the surface starch for fluffier rice. And soaking the rice in seasoned dashi before cooking infuses the dish with more flavor.

This healthy Tex-Mex King Ranch casserole recipe is typically made with cans of cream-of-something soup. We've lightened up this casserole recipe considerably by making a homemade cream sauce and loading it up with veggies at the same time. You'll never guess that a serving of our version of King Ranch casserole has 300 fewer calories and two-thirds less fat than the original. This recipe makes enough for two 8-by-8-inch casseroles (four servings each)--have one for dinner tonight and freeze the other for a night when you don't have time to make dinner.

Mushroom lovers, beware! This savory mushroom side dish is hard to resist. Mixing mushroom varieties here is key--try cremini, stemmed shiitake, button, and porcini mushrooms.

In this pungent mushroom risotto, we substitute fiber-rich barley for the more traditional arborio rice. Any combination of mushrooms will work; if you use shiitakes, remove the stems from the caps before using.

These baked onions are stuffed with a savory combination of mushrooms, breadcrumbs and capers.

In addition to being a great stand-alone side, these slow-cooker mushrooms are also excellent tossed in a salad or stir-fry. Be sure to buy whole cremini mushrooms so they will retain their texture and not turn mushy during the long cook time. If you don't want to wait for the mushroom mixture to concentrate during the 1 hour and 30 minutes of cooking it uncovered, then cook it, uncovered, just long enough for the mushrooms to brown. Then drain the liquid and bring it to a boil in a saucepan. Once the liquid has thickened, stir in the mushrooms and vinegar and sprinkle with the scallions.

Grilled vegetables add a layer of rich, complex flavors to the popular Middle Eastern salad of bulgur and herbs. Serve with whole-wheat pita bread or use as a sandwich filling.

Roasted vegetables are a popular choice because they are so easy to prepare. In this recipe, eggplant, mushrooms, sweet pepper and red onion are drizzled in a simple sage vinaigrette and roasted until tender.

Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of mushrooms. Here they are paired with full-flavored sesame oil, ginger, garlic and scallions. Using a variety of mixed mushrooms makes this dish special (and delicious). Serve with Ginger-Steamed Fish with Troy's Hana-Style Sauce and rice noodles.

A much healthier take on the old-fashioned green bean casserole, this version thankfully skips the canned soup and fried onions! Fresh green beans are cooked until crisp-tender and topped with a garlicky-thyme mushroom sauce, shallots and crumbled chèvre.

This quick marinated mushroom recipe is undeniably easy and impressively flavorful.

A quick roast in the oven and this trio melds together to become the perfect vegetable side dish recipe for chicken or steak. Or toss the warm roasted asparagus and mushrooms with baby spinach and a little more oil and vinegar to turn it into a quick salad recipe.

This vegetable side dish combines mushrooms with crisp-tender asparagus. The cooked vegetables are topped with a creamy sauce made from sherry and reduced-fat cream cheese and further flavored with Parmesan and fresh thyme.

Bok choy's mellow flavor goes beautifully with earthy shiitake mushrooms in this quick stir-fry. Be sure to use toasted rather than plain sesame oil--it has a superior nutty flavor. For a little heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper.

Mushrooms have the perfect meaty texture to complement a modest amount of spicy Italian sausage in this baked rigatoni that has less than one-quarter the fat of the original. Whole-wheat pasta rather than white pasta makes our version a fiber powerhouse with 7 grams per serving. This delicious and cheesy pasta casserole freezes well so you might want to make an extra to have on hand for a ready-to-heat-and-eat meal.

A slimmed-down white sauce makes this creamy green bean casserole side dish recipe low fat.

Collards are related to cabbage and have sturdy, thick leaves that hold up well to cooking. They pair well with strong flavors such as garlic, cayenne, and ham or bacon. This vegetarian take on traditional collard greens gets a boost of savory flavor from shiitake mushrooms.

Poutine (pu-teen)--fries topped with gravy and cheese curds--is a French-Canadian fast-food classic. Our lighter version features crispy oven-fried potatoes topped with just enough sharp cheese and a grease-free gravy that's chock-full of fresh mushrooms.

Sweet sherry and fresh rosemary complement the earthy taste of sautéed mushrooms in this easy side dish. This quick low-carb side is the perfect accompaniment to steak or pork, or try it as a burger topping.

Get your veggies even while you're camping with this spicy, smoky and colorful side dish.