Button, oyster, portobello, shiitake…I love them all. As I end the 30 day Mushroom Makeover challenge, I’m so grateful for the opportunity I had to spend some additional time in the kitchen to create new recipes using mushrooms. Being an ambassador for the Mushroom Council really was a lot of fun … and nope, I’m still not tired of mushrooms! I even used them in this Veggie Sloppy Joes recipe you’ll find at the bottom.
As we enjoy the arrival of spring, one thought on many of our minds is spring cleaning our home. During the past four weeks of this challenge, I was able to do a spring cleaning of my diet. More water, vegetables, and real food replaced diet soda, canned foods, and high calorie meals that left me feeling run down.
My Mushroom Makeover Meals
Mushroom & Avocado Sandwich
Number of bedrooms, square footage, neighborhood…these are selling points when buying a home. I was won over by a chandelier and an amazing avocado tree. Dusting the crystals on the chandelier has become tedious, but the avocado tree and I are still in love.
To make these mushroom sandwiches, I sautéed baby portobello mushrooms. Topping them with mashed avocado, kale, tomato, and provolone helped make my sandwich even yummier and more nutritious.
Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms
Pasta is a go-to meal in our house. Using mushrooms, I was able to create a better-for-you version of my favorite pasta dish. All the scrumptious taste of pesto, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts…without the carbs from pasta. They made a great start to a delicious meal.
Creamy Tortellini & Mushroom Soup
Okay so I just skipped the pasta above, but this time I greatly reduced the amount per serving by putting it in a yummy soup. Eight ounces of cheese tortellini made up enough soup for six servings. A cup of sliced mushrooms made my house smell delicious as this soup cooked away in my crock pot. I served each bowl of Creamy Tortellini & Mushroom Soup topped with greens and garlic bread.
Veggie Sloppy Joes
Veggie Sloppy Joes
Veggie Sloppy Joes | Trade in your protein for veggies in this delicious sloppy joe!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup Morningstar Grillers Crumbles
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 bell pepper (any color), chopped
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 4 whole wheat hamburger buns
Instructions
My Mushroom Makeover Update
This week I wore regular, non-maternity jeans! That’s huge in my world! They weren’t my pre-pregnancy size, but it feels so great to get out of maternity clothes. I know myself, and I need to be held accountable. Participating in the 30-day challenge gave me that. Whether it be making healthier food choices or staying active, I was responsible for a four week period to stay on track.
I took a picture of myself each week, starting with the last week of my pregnancy. Losing baby weight or just weight in general falls into the category of “marathon, not a sprint.” And even during the weeks when the scale wasn’t changing in any significant way, it’s reassuring to know that I was doing something about it.
If you’re looking to transform your favorite recipes or look for new ones, I invite you to check out the #MushroomMakeover Pinterest board or the Mushroom Council’s Pinterest boards. Don’t forget to search your favorite social media sites using the #MushroomMakeover hashtag to see what the amazing ambassadors whipped up during these past 30 days.
Will you use mushrooms to make over your diet?
Lena says
Love all the creative ways to eat mushrooms- I ate a lot of the growing up
Melanie says
Thanks, Lena!
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
I love mushrooms and this sounds fabulous! I wonder if I can sneak this one past my kiddos…
Melanie says
I learned at great trick at the #MushroomMakover Twitter party. Try blending mushrooms in a blender to better hide them from your kiddos. 🙂
mel says
Mushrooms are my favorite! This sounds so good!!!
Stefani says
Those sloppy joes look delicious! I have to try your recipe and hope the kids don’t notice the mushrooms.
Melanie says
My husband didn’t notice them until I mentioned it. And he likes mushrooms!
Liz Mays says
You made everything look so delicious. I’m not a mushroom person, but it all looks appetizing regardless. You’re doing great on bouncing back from baby!
Melanie says
Thank you, Liz. It’s a long road, but I’m happy I’m headed in the right direction.
Liz Mays says
And by the way, I’m not a mushroom person but it’s hidden pretty well in the sloppy joes!
Emily says
Mmm sounds yummy! Traditional sloppy joes seem a little basic to me, I lov ethe veggie additions!
Melanie says
Mushrooms are great because they add a unique, umami flavor. The perfect addition to all kinds of foods. 🙂
Ann B. says
All of these recipes looks great…I love the pesto stuffed mushrooms!
Melanie says
They were a fun little appetizers! I baked the mushrooms with the pesto inside for 10 minutes at 350. Shaved or shredded parmesan added a little more flavor.
Ann B. says
My daughter is a hugh Mushroom fan….I am always looking for new flavors to make them with. This was great! Thanks again!
Colleen says
Wow they all look so good. My daughter and husband love mushrooms they would love some of these dishes you have shown here.
Kelsey Apley says
My husband would love this and your looking great! I am not a fan of mushrooms but I totally wish I was, excited to see your journey!
Melanie says
Try blending them in with meat. There are so many health benefits & you can hide them pretty easily. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up loving them like your husband!
Nichol says
Those sloppy joes look delicious, even though I’m not a mushroom fan. Everything looks great and so do you!
Penelope Guzman (NY Blogger) says
I saw some of these on Instagram and just knew I had to come check them out!
Lisa says
Those Sloppy Joes look really meaty for not having any meat, and loaded with flavor. Congrats on the non maternity pants too – that is a great feeling!!
Melanie says
You can absolutely use ground beef instead, but I wanted to make one meal for the whole family (that’s a novel concept in our world). And thanks! I’m thrilled to put away some of my maternity stuff.
Ty says
Oh my, everything looks so delicious!
Theresa @ Faith and Family Reviews says
The sloppy joes on here or somewhere else were an inspiration in our meal planning since we haven’t had sloppy joes in a long time!
Toni says
Seriously, those Vegan Sloppy Joes look awesome! You are looking great as well!
Melanie says
Thanks, Toni!
Robin Gagnon {Mom Foodie} says
I am not a hamburger fan so these look great to me.
Vanessa: thequeenofswag says
I love anything with Pesto so I’m all about the pesto Mushrooms.
Angela says
These veggie Sloppy Joes look so tasty! I’ll have to try them some time.
Donna says
I don’t really like mushrooms, but my husband does… so I’ll try the sloppy joes. Can you tell it’s mushrooms in it? 🙂
HilLesha says
It wouldn’t be hard for me, because I LOVE mushrooms. 🙂
Kathleen B says
I love sloppy joes, but I don’t really care for mushrooms, I like the idea of a veggie version though.
Tammy says
My daughter and I love mushrooms. Unfortunately my husband does not like the taste of them at all. So we eat mushrooms rarely in our meals at home. I generally order menu items with mushrooms in restaurants though because I like them so much!
Theresa @ Faith and Family Reviews says
I can’t picture myself using mushrooms in my weight loss journey. I like mushrooms but only have eat so many.
Raijean says
Great recipes, never thought about a vegetarian sloppy joe.
TerriAnn @ Cookies & Clogs says
It seems like a great idea to do that. I do enjoy mushrooms and am in need of some diet makeover!
Angela S says
I love mushrooms and try to have them several times a week. These Sloppy Joes look real yummy!
Marcie W. says
I am a mushroom addict! In my omelets, in my salads, in my risotto. Mushrooms are always welcome in the meals I eat and thankfully my family likes them too!