In my recent blog post for The Mushroom Channel, I developed a recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Baby Bella Bacon Bits. Please check it out here. It’ll be a delicious addition to your holiday table. I also wanted to be sure that you had the bacon bits recipe as is, too. So I adopted it as a my newest recipe post.

These plant-based bacon bits are truly better than bacon as they’re actually crimini mushroom slices, slow-roasted until crisped, and spiced just right. You’ll be able to find many other uses for these tasty tempters, including providing a crunchy topping for salads, creating intrigue in sandwiches, or adding interest on top of other veggie dishes. Or perhaps you’ll just want to munch on them as a crisp vegan snack?

Disclosure note: At the time of this posting, Mushroom Council was one of my clients. All opinions expressed and recipe choices on this blog are my own.

baby bella bacon bits

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons turbinado (raw) sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, stems removed*, thinly sliced (1/8-inch thick)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Stir together the sugar, salt, paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
2. Add the mushrooms to a medium bowl, drizzle with the oil, and toss to fully coat. Sprinkle with the seasoning mixture and toss to fully coat. Arrange in a single layer on a large nonstick (PFOA-free) baking sheet.
3. Roast until reduced in size by about 50 percent and deeply caramelized, about 1 hour 15 minutes. There’s no need to stir or flip over during roasting. Scrape up mushrooms with a spatula to make sure they’re not sticking to the pan; rearrange in a single layer; turn off oven; and return to the warm oven for 45 minutes, to allow to crisp.
4. Remove from the oven and cool the baby bella bacon bits on the pan on a rack to allow to further crisp, at least 15 minutes, and serve. If desired, prepare and store in the refrigerator overnight; bring to room temperature before serving.

Per serving: 50 calories. 4.5g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 3g total carbohydrate, 0.5 g dietary fiber, 2g sugars, 1g protein

*Save mushroom stems for other cooking purpose.

Jackie’s Culinary Nutrition Tips!

• Mushrooms provide a savory, meaty taste, so consider uses for them in place of some or all of the meat in a recipe to help you happily move towards or keep following a plant-centered eating style
• Combining spices can help you recreate flavors that you know and love, such as providing the essence of bacon by way of smoked paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder
• Don’t forget the sugar or salt–even if just a pinch. Sugar can help to balance out rich flavored spices. Salt enhances overall taste … there’s no equivalent substitute for it.

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