How To Take Cheese, Pepperoni, And Mushrooms And Make Them Taste Like Pizza

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Pizza has to be up there with burgers and ice cream as a ubiquitous favorite food. From pizza bagels to French bread pizza, there are countless ways to transform all kinds of pantry staples into pizza. Mushrooms are a popular pizza topping already, but if you want to take things a step further, consider turning them into a gluten-free, breadless pizza crust with a pizza-inspired stuffing. Pepperoni is a quintessential pizza ingredient, one with plenty of creative uses in various recipes. In the case of stuffed mushrooms, pepperoni will inspire a pizza flavor profile with the help of cheese and sauce.

Mushrooms offer an umami-rich, sturdy base and ample-sized vessel over which you can build a delicious spin on a classic pepperoni pizza. Simply twist the stems out of mushrooms, add a dollop of tomato or pizza sauce, a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese, and a few slices of pepperoni before baking them in a hot 450-degree oven for around 15 minutes. Mushrooms have plenty of moisture and roasting them draws out their water content while concentrating their umami flavor. Furthermore, the tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni bring fat, savoriness, and a spicy kick to keep the mushrooms tender and complement their earthy profile. 

The best types of mushrooms for stuffed mushrooms are round varieties like portobellos, criminis, and button mushrooms. Large portobellos will make for main-course material, while smaller varieties are great finger foods to serve as appetizers or side dishes. Whichever route you choose, stuffed mushrooms are a quick, convenient, and delicious way to get your pizza fix.

If you're making a main course with pizza-stuffed portobellos, a greased baking sheet is probably your best bet. You can roast smaller pizza-stuffed mushrooms in a cast iron skillet or round baking tin to double as a serving dish. Give our recipe for pizza sauce a try or streamline a pizza-stuffed mushroom recipe by choosing a store-bought pizza sauce. Our favorite sauce is from the popular Rao's Homemade Spicy Pizza Sauce brand.

Of course, tomato sauce is one of many sauces to use on pizza and, in turn, pizza-stuffed mushrooms. Pepperoni would also taste great with vodka sauce, red pesto, or a creamy, cheesy Alfredo sauce. You can finish pizza-stuffed mushrooms with a generous helping of shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese, followed by a sprinkling of oregano and red pepper flakes in keeping with the pizza theme.

A larger portobello has enough surface area to house even more pizza toppings, so you can pair pepperoni with diced onions and bell peppers, and black olives. Make a meat-lovers stuffed portobello with pepperoni and Italian sausage. Serve a main course portobello pizza over a bed of cheesy polenta or these roasted garlic mashed potatoes. As finger food, button-stuffed mushrooms are self-contained and need no accompaniment. However, if you're looking for a crunchy complement, you can serve them with peppery crostini.