Fast Food: Pesto Portobello Burgers
Have I ever told you how much I love vegetables? I do, you know. I LOVE them. I don’t know how it happened. There were few meatless meals (macaroni and cheese! grilled cheese!) in my childhood and I was often forced to finish my broccoli or Brussels sprouts until I threatened to barf. Yet somehow as an adult I grew to appreciate and crave their crisp, tender sweetness. I love complex, interesting salads but what I really, really enjoy are roasted, caramelized vegetables. Seared, grilled or roasted I love how the natural sugars in most veggies come together and develop into deep, rich colors and flavors. This sandwich is so much more than a bunch of vegetables. It is tender, meaty, sweet and bursting with flavor. The best part? Portobello mushroom caps only take about 5 minutes to cook to the perfect done-ness. Pair them with a smoky Gouda and prepared pesto and you have dinner in a few minutes.
Pesto Portobello Burgers
makes 4 sandwiches, prep 5 min, cook 10 min- 4 large portobello mushroom caps
- olive oil or butter, melted
- salt, pepper, garlic powder
- sweet onion, sliced
- bakery rolls
- smoked gouda or provolone, sliced
- pesto, as desired
- tomatoes, sliced
- Heat grill, grill pan or George Foreman. You could also sear them in a frying pan.
- Wash and pat dry mushroom caps. Brush each side with oil or butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Grill mushroom caps about 5 min per side until tender. If desired, grill onion slices and rolls alongside until browned.
- Once mushrooms are tender, top with cheese and cook until melted.
- Spread pesto on a roll, top with a cheese covered mushroom, grilled onions, and tomato slices.
