RCP: PORTABELLA MUSHROOM 'PIZZA'

Serves 6 when used as a main dish with a side course
OR
Cut into quarters to serve as an appetizer

Ingredients:

6 large Portabella Mushrooms caps
3 Italian Turkey Sausage links taken out of the casing
1 small package of Mozzarella cheese
1 tsp butter or olive oil
Approximately 1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce

Optional:
1-2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves sautéed until slightly limp in 1 tsp of olive oil and 1 clove of garlic

To prepare
• Cut off the stems of the portabella mushrooms and then scrape off all the black gills.
• Sauté the crumbled turkey sausage for about 15 minutes over medium heat , set aside.
• In the same pan, add the butter and sauté the mushrooms on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the mushrooms and place on paper towels to absorb the excess liquid produced from cooking.

To assemble
• Sprinkle crumbled sausage on the bottom of each mushroom cap.
• Spoon on some tomato sauce.
• Place sautéed spinach leaves on top. (if using)
• Sprinkle the cheese over each mushroom like you do with pizza.

To cook
Bake on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree over for 15 minutes or until the cheese melts and starts to brown.

Serve with a wine that you love

I was really confused by this recipe (350 degrees for pizza! And with butter!) until I realized the mushrooms were the base.

FWIW, I love mushrooms but for whatever reason don't go crazy for portabellos. The flavor seems kind of boring. Strong, direct, one-dimensional.

Regardless, sounds like a fun dish.

[Jenise]

I did the same double-take, Rahsaan.

Ron, it might be more helpful to rename your recipe 'Pizza-flavored stuffed portabellos'. Btw, is it portabella or portobello?

I should add that part of my aversion of portabellos probably comes from the fact that I'm a vegetarian and for so long it seemed like portabello mushrooms were the default vegetarian menu item. Especially on sandwiches. It got tiring. But then again, I don't think I would ever tire of eating certain other foods (e.g. tomatoes/eggplant) so the inherent portabello-ness plays a role.

[Jenise]

Ron, on second thought, I solved the problem by putting the word pizza in apostrophes. It grammatically clarifies the issue.

Jenise, Thank you for making it grammatically correct now. I never looked at it that way before

Despite their popularity, I have never developed a liking for portabella mushrooms finding that no matter how prepared they lack the flavor of even simple champignons and a bit too watery in texture for my taste.

[Robin Garr]

Btw, is it portabella or portobello?

You see it spelled all four possible ways: Portobello, Portobella, Portabello and Portabella.

If we want to be pedantic about it, it's not an Italian mushroom but a modern creation - an oversize crimini, which in its turn is a brown domestic button mushroom - named after Portobello Road, the posh London shopping district.

[Robin Garr]

Speaking of portobellos and whether they're flavorful or not, I have to say that I've tasted some vegetarian hamburger alternatives built on a portobello the size of a burger. With melted cheese and all the trimmings - and perhaps a flavorful marinade before char-grilling the 'shroom - it makes a pretty tasty meatless alternative when that's what you want.

[Jenise]

A friend served them grilled last Thursday night wherein the slices marinated along with some fat hunks of lamb sirloin in rosemary and garlic. Very very good!

But I sure feel for Rahsaan. For years every restaurant in creation had pasta prima vera on the menu for it's token vegetarian dish, and nowadays it's usually something involving portobella mushrooms. If I were vegetarian, I'd resent them too!

Speaking of portobellos and whether they're flavorful or not, I have to say that I've tasted some vegetarian hamburger alternatives built on a portobello the size of a burger. With melted cheese and all the trimmings - and perhaps a flavorful marinade before char-grilling the 'shroom - it makes a pretty tasty meatless alternative when that's what you want.

I think the main attraction here is typically the size/texture that allows it to stand in as a meat replacement. Because as you said, once you add all the melted cheese and trimmings, what wouldn't taste good!

Many of our friends became somewhat addicted to my grilled pizza. To the point where it seemed as though we were doing them almost every weekend. Wife and I actually got tired of it and we started doing portabella pizzas instead. I, therefore, had no confusion from the title and enjoyed your take on it, Ron. Thanks for sharing.