I still haven’t made this but want to. The trick for me is not what meat to use but finding all three varieties of mushrooms. Sure you can make it with whatever mushrooms you choose but it would be nice to have the variety.

Hi Sigrid – we ate it like a soup and didn’t serve it over anything. You could certainly serve it over noodles, rice or mashed or cubed potatoes.

Barbara, I’m wondering what you served this over or with. It looks very “liquidy”, almost soup-like. Of course one could serve it over anything she chose, but I’m wondering what you chose – noodles, pasta, mashed potatoes, something else? Thanks.

I wanted to save time in making broths and stock and tried several types of Better Than Bouillon (chicken, beef, vegetable). I noticed a sharp and unpleasant underlying taste in all of them, which led me to look more closely at the ingredients listed on the labels.

First, the salt levels are unusually high: 1 teaspoon of BtB Beef has 680 mg of sodium (over 25% of the recommended daily requirement of salt), which tends to put it out of the range of those who require or desire reduced-sodium diets.

Secondly, BtB Beef contains both sugar and corn sugar solids (whatever those are), plus ingredients such as yeast extract and hydrolyzed soy protein, which are processed (chemically treated) additions that are not usually considered part of a “natural” diet.

I never could figure out what gave my BtB samples their unpleasant chemical undertones, but I ended up tossing all three jars after using a few teaspoons from each. I now make my own stocks or, if in a hurry, I use store-bought stocks like Pacific or Swanson’s organic/low sodium broths, whose ingredient lists are natural-sounding and don’t require a college degree in chemistry to understand.

Disclosure: I have no familial or business relationship with Pacific or Swanson’s nor do I work for their ad agencies. I just like their stocks and broths and feel they are healthier for me and my family than the Better Than Bouillon products.

Thanks for sharing Norma! Glad it was a hit 🙂

Glad you enjoyed it despite the missing mushrooms! I think that’s happened to us all.

I finally made this last night after buying the ingredients several days ago. I distinctly remember while at the grocery store mulling over the different types of mushrooms, picking them up, looking them over. And then after I started my dinner last night, I realized I had no ‘shrooms! Egads. I guess I must have walked away because someone was crowding me at the mushroom section and I forgot to go back. Or else the bagger didn’t put them in bag. I don’t know what happened.

So, I cooked without the mushrooms, but I did have boxed mushroom broth and everything else. It was delectable. Even my son liked it. He said, “I can see how mushrooms would go good with this.” And I see how the mushrooms would have added so much more, but it was delicious nonetheless. I will definitely make again with mushrooms. Thanks for recipe.

Great tip Sigrid – thanks for sharing!

Lately, I’ve been using the Better Than Bouillon Bases. Specific to this recipe, one could select the Better Than Bouillon Base, Mushroom – it’s available in the regular version or organic version. I find the Better Than Bouillon bases both tasty and convenient. America’s Test Kitchen has reviewed several of the choices, considering beef outstanding. Besides the good flavor (paramount, of course), I like that I can make as much or as little stock as I wish. When I use stock or broth such as that made by Swanson’s (a good brand), it seems I always have some leftover I have to deal with. The BTB products come as a paste and one can use as little or as much as needed and refrigerate the rest – a teaspoon of the paste with water equals a cup of broth. The BTB products last a very long time in the fridge, unlike canned broths or stocks.

Besides, mushroom, Better Than Bouillon is available in many flavors: beef, chicken, vegetable, roasted garlic, turkey, clam, fish, chili, and ham. Some are available in reduced sodium versions and organic versions. In my opinion, most canned beef and chicken broths (except Swanson) are close to tasteless. I find BTB a cut above.