Mushrooms are the new meat. Who knew?

So we are living on a pretty tight budget these days. But before you start to feel bad for us, I want you to know that it is completely self-imposed. Thankfully, we can pay our bills, but we want to be smart with our money because you never know when disaster may hit.

That said, one way I can contribute to the solution is by getting creative in the kitchen. We are a meat-loving family and that can get pricey! I am always looking for yummy meatless options to add to the menu, but something I never really considered was to cut the amount of meat and add in a substitute to round it out. As it turns out, The Mushroom Council has a library full of delicious recipes that include mushrooms as a meat substitute. Genius.

One of our favorite meatless meals is pretty mushroom heavy and I love portabello mushroom sandwiches, so I am a little embarrassed that I didn’t already consider this idea. And the great thing about this swapability is you don’t really need to use the pricier mushrooms to do it. You just chop them up and season the same way as your meat and add them in!

This handy little Black & Decker Electric Chopper is small but mighty if you need some help chopping mushrooms.

An added bonus to cutting your meat in half is that it not only saves money, it’s healthier! Did you know that mushrooms are the only fresh fruit or vegetable with Vitamin D? If I can get Oscar to eat mushroom meatballs then I will be dancing laps around my kitchen. I am really excited to try some new recipes and alter my own with mushrooms.

Mushroom Recipes I want to try

Cremini and Pork Meatballs 

Mushroom Burger Wraps

Want to learn more about creative ways to cook with mushrooms? This cookbook offers Mushroom Recipes: The Top 50 Most Delicious Mushroom Recipes. I haven’t tried them yet so let me know if they really are delicious.

Have you used mushrooms as a meat substitute? What are your favorite recipes?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Global Influence and The Mushroom Council. All opinions are my own. Thanks for reading!