If you're lucky enough to find a giant puffball mushroom and are looking for puffball mushroom recipes, this omelette is a delicious option. Thick slices of tender, sautéed mushroom are paired with salty Kalamata olives, sharp cheddar cheese, and savory slices of Spanish chorizo. Sauté the mushrooms in garlic scape butter to take it to the next level!
Although I occasionally find puffball mushrooms growing on our property in Montana, I've never found a giant puffball. Since the ones I've found have been on the small side, I haven't spent much time creating recipes with them. I usually just sauté them and eat them straight out of the pan! I had to come to Chicago of all places to find the giant ones!
While on a walk with my sister and niece, I found four giant puffball mushrooms, but since they were so heavy, I only took one. And it's a good thing, since I had to carry that sucker for the remaining three miles of our six-plus-mile hike!
Once I started to process the mushroom, I realized there was no way I could eat all of it before it went bad. To give you an idea of how large it was, half of the sliced mushroom filled an entire gallon-sized Ziploc bag!
Had I been back home in Montana, I would have dehydrated the leftovers or shared some with my friends. Puffballs don't freeze particularly well unless they're cooked first, so I knew I needed to find a few ways to use it while it was still fresh.
The next question was what to make with it? A mushroom omelette seemed like an easy choice. It turned out to be a delicious way to use some of this enormous mushroom and one of my favorite puffball mushroom recipes to date. The earthy mushroom, creamy melted cheese, briny olives, and smoky chorizo come together beautifully for a satisfying breakfast or brunch that feels both rustic and special!
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What Is a Giant Puffball Mushroom?
Puffballs (Calvatia gigantea) are large, round, white mushrooms that can grow impressively big. Some can grow to be the size of a basketball or larger! Their flesh is firm and white, and when young and fresh, they have a mild, delicate mushroom flavor that works particularly well in dishes where you slice and sauté them.
Puffballs are unusual because they don't have a true stem or stalk like many other mushrooms. Instead, they grow one large, rounded ball attached to the ground by a small nub-like base. This little nub is sometimes more noticeable on mature specimens, but it's not considered a true stem. When harvesting, you may notice the puffball is widest at the top and tapers slightly toward the base.
Giant puffball mushrooms can have either a smooth or slightly scaly surface. When they're past their prime, the interior changes from white to yellowish, then eventually brown and powdery as the mushroom develops spores.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Mushroom: Puffball mushroom, peeled and sliced. Feel free to add as much as you'd like, based on the size of your mushroom. I used approximately one slice, cut into 2" pieces.
- Eggs: Two large eggs
- Cheese: Choose your favorite cheese; I went with sharp cheddar.
- Olives: Kalamata olives are the way to go here!
- Chorizo: I used sliced Spanish chorizo, but you can easily substitute with Mexican chorizo, sausage, or bacon!
- Butter: Unsalted butter for sautéing the mushrooms and cooking the omelette.
*See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make a Giant Puffball Mushroom Omelette
Before you begin, wash the puffball (if needed), then peel it. Slice it into ⅛" slices, then chop one slice into 2" to 3" pieces. Add more or less based on your preference and the size of your mushroom.
- Melt butter in a nonstick skillet and sauté mushroom pieces until golden on both sides. Add chopped chorizo and sauté for 1 minute longer.
- Whisk eggs in a bowl, then arrange mushrooms and chorizo on half of the pan before pouring whisked eggs over them. Tilt the pan to distribute the eggs.
- Arrange olives and cheese over the mushrooms and chorizo. When the eggs begin to set, fold one half over to cover the ingredients.
- Continue to cook over low heat until the egg is cooked through and the cheese is melted. Serve with fresh salsa or your favorite hot sauce.
FAQs
Where Do Giant Puffballs Grow?
Giant puffballs are found in a variety of habitats, but they most commonly grow in open grassy areas, pastures, meadows, lawns, and fields. They can also appear along forest edges, roadsides, and other areas with plenty of organic matter. Unlike many wild mushrooms that grow directly on trees, giant puffballs grow on the ground, often appearing in the same general areas from year to year.
They typically emerge in late summer through early fall, especially after periods of rain. Keep an eye out for them because a giant puffball can seem to appear overnight, and once you know what you're looking for, their large, round, white appearance makes them hard to miss.
What Does a Giant Puffball Mushroom Taste Like?
The giant puffball mushroom has a very mild, slightly earthy, and nutty flavor. The texture is soft and creamy, yet substantial when cooked. The flavor profile is much less intense than some wild mushrooms, for example, morels.
How to Tell If a Puffball Is Good to Eat
Puffballs should be completely white and solid when sliced in half. If the center is yellow, brown, or contains spores, it's no longer edible.
As a giant puffball matures, it eventually reaches the end of its edible stage. The once-firm white interior turns yellowish, then brown and powdery as it fills with millions of spores. At this stage, even a gentle touch or bump can cause a cloud of brownish spores to puff out of the mushroom, which is where the name "puffball" comes from.
Pro Tip: Always cut a puffball open before eating it. A young giant puffball should have a solid, uniform white interior with no gills, stem, or developing mushroom structure inside. If the interior contains any yellowing, browning, discoloration, or a recognizable mushroom shape, don't eat it.
How to Prepare Giant Puffballs for Cooking
Begin by peeling the outer layer and removing any areas of the mushroom that have insect holes or tunnels. Once cleaned, slice into ⅛" slices and sauté in butter. Season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Storage Instructions
Puffball mushrooms can be stored in a paper bag in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer storage, sauté sliced mushrooms until cooked through, cool completely, then portion and freeze in freezer bags or airtight containers.
Forager Chef has a great article on how to properly freeze puffballs and also has more puffball mushroom recipes!
Pro Tips
- Since the chorizo was pretty salty and spicy, I did not add additional seasoning. If you substitute bacon, you may want to season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- An even easier way to make this dish is to scramble it instead of making an omelette. Zero skill required!
- If you have more giant puffball mushrooms than you can eat while fresh, sauté first, then freeze it in portions. Freezing it raw can leave the mushroom with an unpleasant texture and foul-smelling liquid once thawed.
- Another option is to dehydrate it for longer storage. Once dried, it takes up less space and can be rehydrated for soups, sauces, and other dishes.
- Sautéed puffball is delicious in pasta, risotto, soups, stir-fries, pizza, or simply served as a side dish. Because its flavor is relatively mild, there are plenty of puffball mushroom recipes you can make with this versatile mushroom.
- If you've harvested more than you can reasonably use, give some to friends or family who enjoy cooking with wild mushrooms. A giant puffball can go a surprisingly long way.
More Mushroom Posts
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Giant Puffball Mushroom Omelette Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 slice giant puffball mushroom
- 2 large eggs
- 4 slices Spanish chorizo
- 4 kalamata olives
- 2 ounces cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Before you begin, wash the puffball (if needed), then peel it. Slice it into ⅛" slices, then chop one slice into 2" to 3" pieces. Add more or less based on your preference and the size of your mushroom.
- Melt butter in a nonstick skillet and sauté mushroom pieces until golden on both sides. Add chopped chorizo and sauté for 1 minute longer.
- Whisk eggs in a bowl, then arrange mushrooms and chorizo on half of the pan before pouring whisked eggs over them. Tilt the pan to distribute the eggs.
- Arrange olives and cheese over the mushrooms and chorizo. When the eggs begin to set, fold one half over to cover the ingredients.
- Continue to cook over low heat until the egg is cooked through and the cheese is melted. Serve with fresh salsa or your favorite hot sauce.
Notes
- Since the chorizo was pretty salty and spicy, I did not add additional seasoning. If you substitute bacon, you may want to season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- An even easier way to make this dish is to scramble it instead of making an omelette. Zero skill required!
- If you have more giant puffball mushrooms than you can eat while fresh, sauté first, then freeze it in portions. Freezing it raw can leave the mushroom with an unpleasant texture and foul-smelling liquid once thawed.
- Another option is to dehydrate it for longer storage. Once dried, it takes up less space and can be rehydrated for soups, sauces, and other dishes.
- Sautéed puffball is delicious in pasta, risotto, soups, stir-fries, pizza, or simply served as a side dish. Because its flavor is relatively mild, there are plenty of puffball mushroom recipes you can make with this versatile mushroom.
- If you've harvested more than you can reasonably use, give some to friends or family who enjoy cooking with wild mushrooms. A giant puffball can go a surprisingly long way.
Hilda Sterner says
I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!