One-Pan Chicken Marsala and Jumbo Stuffed Mushroom Recipes to Support Your Immune System

Add these 2 must-make healthy mushroom recipes to your meal plan, stat! Mexican-Inspired Jumbo Stuffed Mushrooms and an Easy One-Pan Chicken Marsala are fun ways to incorporate this immune–supporting veggie into your weekly meal plan!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by The Mushroom Council. Thank you for supporting the brands that make the Chelsey Amer Nutrition blog possible.

Mushrooms are one of my favorite vegetables to cook with because they’re so versatile! Their meaty texture, umami flavor, and wide range of health benefits make mushrooms a must-have on every grocery shopping list.

During cold and flu season, especially, it’s important to add foods that support your immune system. And you guessed it…

Mushrooms contain key immune-supporting nutrients!

You’ve probably learned much more about your immune system than you ever wanted to know since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but as a refresher, your immune system is composed of an intricate network of cells, organs, proteins, and molecules in your body that protects you from “invaders” (AKA infections). Think about your immune system as a 1,000+ piece puzzle. It takes time to put it all together with so many pieces playing a role.

There’s no one thing that automatically improves your immune system, but there are many pieces to the puzzle, including:

• Overall health status
• Sleep
• Stress
• Gut health
• Exercise
• Nutrition

Today we’re going to focus on the nutrients that impact your immune system.

There are several key nutrients that impact your immune system, including:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• B vitamins, specifically B6 and B12
• Selenium
• Vitamin A
• Folate
• Iron
• And more

You can learn more about these nutrients and how they impact your immune system HERE!

Let’s look at the key immune-supporting nutrients in mushrooms…

Mushrooms contain a few key immune-supporting nutrients, including:

1. Vitamin D
2. Selenium

Mushrooms are a unique food source of vitamin D.

But when exposed to UV light or sunlight they can absorb even more vitamin D, making them an excellent source of vitamin D. For example, one whole portabella mushroom, exposed to UV-light, contains 120% DV of Vitamin D! Vitamin D has been shown to impact the body’s immune response. In fact, vitamin D deficiency can increase your susceptibility to infections, including COVID-19.

Mushrooms are also a potent source of selenium.

Selenium is an antioxidant that has been shown to be an important player in keeping your immune system strong. Just four crimini mushrooms contain 38% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).

How can you enjoy the immune-supporting benefits of mushrooms? Try these 2 new mushroom recipes:

1. Mexican-Inspired Stuffed Mushrooms
2. One-Pan Chicken Marsala

Whether you’re a vegetarian or carnivore, there’s something here for you!

First, Mexican-Inspired Stuffed Mushrooms are a simple vegetarian meal made with 12 ingredients and take less than 30 minutes start to finish.

Flavorful black beans, quinoa, spicy peppers and onions are stuffed into large mushroom caps to make this delicious weeknight meal. This veggie-heavy meal not only features immune-supporting mushrooms, but also vitamin C-rich peppers, protein-rich beans and quinoa, and antioxidant-filled cilantro and spices.

How to make Jumbo Stuffed Mushrooms

This is such a fun recipe to make, and a great recipe to get kids involved in the kitchen!

First, you cook your jumbo mushroom caps to get rid of excess liquid. You could skip this step to save time, but I think it creates a more tender mushroom and final product.

Next, create the filling. This is a great pantry meal that requires just a handful of fresh ingredients to really make the flavors pop! Canned black beans and cooked quinoa are the base of the filling, alongside shredded cheese, onion, bell pepper, poblano pepper, garlic, cilantro, and spices.

Stuff this mixture into the mushrooms, top with extra cheese, bake until the cheese melts and enjoy!

These Stuffed Mushrooms are…

• Full of flavor
• Packed with veggies AKA antioxidants, vitamins and minerals
• Satisfying
• A well-balanced meal
• Fun to make

Ingredients to make Jumbo Stuffed Mushrooms:

• 8 medium-sized portabella mushrooms
• 1 15-ounce can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• ½ poblano pepper, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• ¼ cup cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

Click here to get the full recipe!

Second, One-Pan Chicken Marsala is a simple way to make a restaurant favorite dish that’s packed with protein and more mushrooms!

Tender chicken thighs are coated in a delectable mushroom sauce that comes together in one pan, in mere minutes. This is a recipe all mushroom lovers must try!

How to make One-Pan Chicken Marsala

This is a quickie version of chicken marsala, but still packs in so much flavor. After browning seasoned chicken thighs in a cast iron pan, it’s time to make the marsala sauce.

Onions and mushrooms are sautéed until browned. Then the fun begins…

First, deglaze the pan with wine. That simply means to pour the wine in the pan and scrape off all the good bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil until the wine is reduced in half and thickens up. Then you’ll add chicken broth and flour. The flour will thicken up your sauce rather quickly, but be sure it’s completely mixed in.

At this point you’ll add the chicken back in the pan so it can soak up the sauce and finish cooking. It’s always a good idea to keep a meat thermometer on hand to ensure safety first! The internal temperature of chicken should read 165°F.

One-Pan Chicken Marsala is…

• Easy to make
• Packed with umami mushroom flavor
• A 30-minute meal
• High protein

Can you make one-pan chicken marsala in advance?

Yes, you can and then reheat before you eat. There are two ways you can do this:

1. Make the sauce in advance, then cook the chicken after. This may require two pans when you’re ready to eat.
2. Cook the chicken until it’s just about done, then let finish cooking when you reheat it.

Ingredients to make one-pan chicken marsala:

For the chicken:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat cut off
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the sauce: 

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup chopped yellow onion
• 16 ounces sliced crimini or white button mushrooms
• 1 cup Marsala or Port wine
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or gluten-free alternative)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Click here to get the full One-Pan Chicken Marsala recipe!

Looking for more mushroom recipes? Check out these ideas …

• Shiitake Mushroom Jerky
• Mushroom Fajitas
• 5-Ingredient Mushroom Tacos
• 45 Healthy Mushroom Recipes
• Kale and Mushroom Strata
• Warm Mushroom and Green Bean Salad
• Grilled Mushroom Sandwich

Don’t Forget to PIN IT and save for later!

XO