Recipes

(ARA) – Mushrooms, a popular topping, are a familiar sight at any pizzeria. Steakhouses offer sautéed mushrooms over steaks and, in a family restaurant, mushrooms might be an optional topper for baked potatoes. This kind of topper, plain and simple, couldn’t be nicer but it’s a far cry from the new jazzier toppers, which combine fresh mushrooms with cheese, seasonings and other flavorful ingredients in exciting ways.

These mushroom toppers are easy to whip up so there’s every reason to enjoy them at home. Melted Swiss and Mushroom Topper is a spirited combo with nutty Swiss cheese and tangy olives that’s worthy of any restaurant but very doable in a home kitchen. And, like any chef, you choose what goes under the topper. Mild-flavored fish fillets such as farm-raised catfish or poached chicken breast are great picks. Good-for-you veggies like steamed broccoli or green beans get a lot more interesting when they’re crowned with this mushroom topper. And it’s great over bruschetta made from slices of rustic country bread, toasted and rubbed lightly with raw garlic.

Mushroom and Country Sausage Topper is delightfully chunky, with fresh tomatoes and green onions added to the mix. As an all-in-one meal, it’s sensational, whether spooned over flaky baked potatoes, soft polenta or split, piping-hot biscuits. These toppers go with an astonishing variety of foods, but we shouldn’t be surprised. Rich in the savory quality known as umami or the “fifth taste,” mushrooms have the power to transform the flavor of other foods.

Leftover topper? Serve it on something different the next night. Here are the recipes:

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