Whether you call them baby bellas or brown mushrooms, they’re all Cremini Mushrooms. Turn them into a succulent side dish with butter, white wine, and garlic!
I don’t have a favorite food, but if I did, mushrooms would probably be a strong contender. Not only are they tasty, but they strike my curiosity because they’re so strange. The things we call “mushrooms” are actually just the fruit (or “fruiting body”) of a massive network of fungal mycelium that we typically can’t see. The fruiting bodies of edible varieties happen to be very nourishing, and they’re quite fun to hunt if you know what to look for (and what to avoid).
Portobello, shiitake, white button, porcini—all the edible mushrooms are delicious in my eyes, but perhaps none are as versatile as the cute and humble cremini. These tiny little guys are firm and stout, so they hold up to a lot of different cooking methods. You can fry them, grill them, stuff them, mix them up with pasta and cheese, or simply cook them up with butter and garlic.
If you’ve never cooked creminis before, this recipe will show you a basic way to do it. We’re going simple with these, but in this case, simple is best. You don’t even have to chop them up. All you need to make an incredible mushroom side dish is butter, white wine, garlic, and some basic seasonings. Serve them with steak, on top of a baked potato, or all by their lonesome!
Are Cremini Mushrooms Healthy?
Cremini mushrooms are naturally low in fat, carbs, and calories, and they’re rich in B vitamins and minerals, like selenium and copper. Garlic is known for its heart-healthy properties, and dry white wine doesn’t add tons of carbs or calories. This recipe, however, uses almost an entire stick of butter, which adds a substantial amount of calories and fat (including saturated fat) to the nutrition profile. If you’d like to cut down the saturated fat content, feel free to replace as much butter with olive oil as you like, but keep in mind that some butter in this dish is going to make it taste better!
Overall, this dish is vegetarian, low-carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free. If you want to make it vegan, swap the butter out for plant-based butter.
Cremini, Demystified
If you’ve never had a cremini mushroom, well, there’s a chance you are mistaken. Creminis are also known as “baby bella” mushrooms—as it turns out, creminis are just young portobello mushrooms! In my experience, they are rarely labeled “cremini” at grocery stores.
But the confusion goes even deeper. Get this: baby bellas, creminis, and portobellos are all the Agaricus bisporus mushroom at different ages. And white button mushrooms are just a white variety of that same mushroom. So, chances are good that you’ve tried a cremini mushroom—you just didn’t know it.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Let the cremini mushrooms cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them in freezer-safe ziplock bags for up to 3 months. Just let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stove or in the microwave.
Serving Suggestions
When I have a pile of mushrooms cooked with butter and garlic, my mind immediately wanders toward steak. Try these mushrooms with this Keto Steak With Garlic Butter Mushrooms, or these delicious Garlic Steak And Potato Foil Packets. Outside of steak, you can easily pair creminis with fish, pork, or chicken dishes. Try Juicy Grilled Chicken Breast or this amazing Pan-Seared Salmon with your mushrooms. I think they’d also go great in a Broccoli Tofu Stir-Fry!
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms cleaned and stems trimmed
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the cremini mushrooms and sprinkle with garlic powder, stirring to coat the mushrooms evenly.
- Sauté the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes, until they start to release their moisture. Stir in the minced garlic and continue to cook for another 3 minutes, allowing the mushrooms to reabsorb the moisture and become fragrant.
- Pour in the dry white wine and let the mushrooms cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has evaporated and the mushrooms have developed a golden-brown color, about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool for a minute, then serve warm.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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