GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM BURGERS
 
 
The possibilities for topping these burgers are limitless. I usually top mine with goat cheese and whatever greens I have on hand (e.g., romaine lettuce, arugula, or even a couple of basil leaves). Sometimes I’ll add a few slices of avocado too. My husband prefers the basics: provolone cheese, lettuce, and tomato. The kids like to eat theirs as “deconstructed” burgers, with each component served separately on a plate: bun, mushroom, red pepper, tomato, mashed avocado. If I have any pesto, I like to mix some into a dollop of mayonnaise and spread it on the buns before assembling the burgers. The grilled red peppers are optional, of course, but a worthwhile addition. You can substitute a few slices of roasted red peppers from a jar or even some sun-dried tomatoes, if you prefer.

One last note: I haven’t tried this yet, but it’s been in the back of my mind since last summer and I think it would be a perfect topping for these burgers: caramelized onions. If you try it, let me know if my suspicions are correct!

Yield: 4 burgers
Author:
Ingredients
  • -- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the grill grate
  • -- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • -- 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • -- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • -- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • -- 1 large red bell pepper, stem, ribs, and seeds removed, then cut into 4 slices of roughly the same size
  • -- 4 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed (I sometimes scrape out the dark gills from the undersides of the mushroom caps, more for aesthetic reasons, because they tend to “bleed” onto the buns and their plates, which can “offend” the younger members of our family. You can certainly skip that step if black mushroom juices don’t bother you or the people you are serving.)
  • -- 4 ounces of soft goat cheese, sliced or crumbled into approximately 1-ounce servings (You can, of course, substitute other cheeses for the goat cheese. As I mentioned in the head notes, provolone cheese gets a thumbs-up from my husband.)
  • -- 4 (whole-wheat) hamburger rolls or other rolls (e.g., ciabatta, sourdough), sliced horizontally
  • -- Softened butter or more olive oil, for spreading on rolls before grilling (optional)
  • -- Other toppings of your choice (e.g., leafy greens, tomato slices, avocado, mayonnaise and/or other condiments)
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place the red pepper slices and mushrooms in a shallow baking dish or container (preferably one with a lid or cover). (Depending on the size of your dish or container, you might need more than one to hold all the pepper slices and mushrooms.) Pour the marinade over the pepper slices and mushrooms; toss gently with your hands to coat the vegetables. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
  2. Heat an outdoor grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grill grate. Place the red bell pepper slices on the grate, skin side down, and grill until the skins are blackened, about 10 minutes. Set the peppers aside until they’re cool enough to handle, then remove and discard the skins and set aside again.
  3. While the peppers are cooking (or while they are cooling— whichever is more manageable for you), you can start grilling the mushrooms: Place the mushrooms on the grate and grill them until they’re tender and slightly charred, about 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your mushrooms and the heat of your grill. (If I’m using goat cheese, I like to start grilling the mushrooms gills-side down and finish grilling them gills-side up. The goat cheese fits nicely into the underside of the mushroom, which acts as a “bowl” to hold the cheese in place as it melts.) When the mushrooms are almost done cooking (about a minute or two to go on the second side), top each mushroom with goat cheese or your cheese of choice and continue cooking until the cheese melts. Remove the mushrooms from the grill.
  4. Place your (toasted *) hamburger buns or rolls on plates. Assemble your burgers (mushroom/cheese + red pepper slice) and toppings as desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
* If you like your hamburger buns toasted, place the buns (spread with a little butter or olive oil first, if you’d like) cut side down on the grill grate, and grill until toasted to your liking. (I put mine on the grill about the same time I put the cheese on the mushrooms; it takes about the same amount of time—a minute or two—for the cheese to melt and for the buns to get lightly toasted.)


Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Outdoors Series, Picnics and Tailgates, by Diane Rossen Worthington, and Everyday Food magazine, July/August 2008.
Recipe by Wholesome Family Kitchen at https://www.wholesomefamilykitchen.com/recipe-grilled-portobello-mushroom-burgers-summer/