Though meat is back on my menu these days, when I was a vegetarian, one of my favorite meat substitutes was the humble mushroom. I was never a fan of packaged vegetarian foods that promised to taste just like the real thing as (1) I never really missed the taste of meat and (2) as a vegetarian, I never understood the desire to eat something that tasted like meat. Wasn't the whole point of being a vegetarian that you didn't want to eat animals? (Okay, fine, I suppose some people go vegetarian solely for health reasons, but still...) In addition, meat substitutes, be it a veggie burger or "chik'n" are typically chockfull of artificial ingredients and preservatives. Meh, no thanks.
But, throw a portobello mushroom my way and I'm all about it. Toss it in a marinade, grill it or roast it, and you have all the umami (savory flavor) you need without a bit of meat. I made these baby bella mushroom sliders to share during our game day celebration yesterday and they were a hit. Look for the largest baby bella mushrooms that you can find -- you'll want them to be as big as your slider bun as possible. Feel free to play around with the marinade; I'm a sucker for balsamic vinegar, but there are plenty of other options out there. If you don't have fresh herbs, you can easily sub in dried varieties. This recipe is easily multiplied to make more servings. If you're serving a large group, I think it would be fun to set out a toppings bar so that everyone can dress their slider as they please -- just set out some greens, sliced tomatoes and other veggies, condiments (mayo, ketchup, mustard), a variety of cheeses, avocado slices or guacamole, and any of your other favorite toppings (maybe even a little bacon??) and let your guests go to town.
Baby Bella Mushroom Sliders (printer-friendly version)
makes 4 sliders
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 baby bella mushrooms, stemmed
4 small smoked provolone rounds (I used a small round cookie cutter to cut circles from a couple slices of cheese)
4 thin tomato slices
4 slider-sized pieces of romaine lettuce or baby spinach
4 pretzel (or other) slider buns
1. In a shallow bowl, add together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, rosemary, thyme, garlic, pepper, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the mushrooms, and carefully toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for an hour, or in the fridge for up to 6 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
3. Drain the mushrooms for 10 minutes on a wire rack placed over a bowl, and then place the mushrooms curved-side down on the lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes, remove the mushrooms from the oven. If there is excess liquid in the caps, carefully drain into a bowl (and discard), then flip the mushrooms over and roast for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Remove the roasted mushrooms from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
6. Remove the lining from the baking sheet. Split the buns in half. Set both halves on the baking sheet. Place a roasted mushroom curved-side up on top of each bun bottom. Top with a provolone round. Bake in the oven for about 3 minutes, or until the buns are warmed and the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, add lettuce and tomato, and top each with the other half of the bun. Serve immediately.
(inspired by this Vegetarian Times recipe)
makes 4 sliders
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 baby bella mushrooms, stemmed
4 small smoked provolone rounds (I used a small round cookie cutter to cut circles from a couple slices of cheese)
4 thin tomato slices
4 slider-sized pieces of romaine lettuce or baby spinach
4 pretzel (or other) slider buns
1. In a shallow bowl, add together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, rosemary, thyme, garlic, pepper, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the mushrooms, and carefully toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for an hour, or in the fridge for up to 6 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
3. Drain the mushrooms for 10 minutes on a wire rack placed over a bowl, and then place the mushrooms curved-side down on the lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes, remove the mushrooms from the oven. If there is excess liquid in the caps, carefully drain into a bowl (and discard), then flip the mushrooms over and roast for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Remove the roasted mushrooms from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
6. Remove the lining from the baking sheet. Split the buns in half. Set both halves on the baking sheet. Place a roasted mushroom curved-side up on top of each bun bottom. Top with a provolone round. Bake in the oven for about 3 minutes, or until the buns are warmed and the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, add lettuce and tomato, and top each with the other half of the bun. Serve immediately.
(inspired by this Vegetarian Times recipe)
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