Portobello Burger With Melty Provolone and a Properly Toasted Bun

It is 12:15 on a Saturday, you have been promising yourself a real lunch since Wednesday, and the only thing in the fridge with any swagger is a pack of big mushrooms. This portobello burger turns them into a stacked, melty, dripping-down-your-wrist sandwich, and the beef may not even get a mention. It is the plus-one you almost did not invite who ends up stealing the night.

A big cap, a slice of provolone and a toasted bun: lunch with some swagger.

You do not need to be a vegetarian to want this. A portobello cap is wide, dense and mild, which makes it a good place to put a sharp glaze and a melty slice of cheese. If you have been stuck choosing between a salad that will leave you hungry and a burger that will leave you napping, this portobello burger sits in the middle and flirts with both.

How to make it

1. Wipe 4 portobello mushrooms clean, twist out the stems, and scrape out the dark gills with a spoon. Slice 1 tomato and 0.5 red onion into thin rounds, and separate 4 lettuce leaves, about 8 minutes total.
2. In a small bowl, stir together 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Brush the mixture all over both sides of the mushrooms.
3. Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms gill-side down for 4 to 5 minutes until juicy, then flip.
4. Top each mushroom with 1 provolone cheese slice, cover the pan, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more until the cheese melts and the caps are tender.
5. Toast 4 burger buns cut-side down in the same pan for about 1 minute until lightly golden.
6. Spread 1 tbsp mayonnaise on each bun bottom, then stack lettuce, a cheesy mushroom, tomato, and red onion. Close with the bun tops and serve right away.

Notes

Cooked leftovers keep three to four days refrigerated, per USDA FSIS. Store the cooked mushrooms apart from the buns, lettuce and tomato, since soft bread and wet vegetables make poor companions overnight.

Reheat a cap in a skillet or a hot oven rather than the microwave, which tends to leave mushrooms rubbery and releases more liquid. Freezing the cooked caps is possible, but mushrooms often go soft after thawing, so the fridge is the better home for them.

Do not expect a leftover portobello burger to match the first night. The cheese will have set and the cap will have relaxed. Treat it as a different sandwich: sliced, tucked into a wrap or piled on greens with a little extra balsamic, it becomes a decent lunch in its own right.

Everything except the cooking can be done ahead. The glaze keeps in a jar, and the onion can be sliced a few hours early. Cook the mushrooms close to when you plan to eat, because that is when a portobello burger tends to be at its juiciest.

If this one lands in your week with a swipe right, the agent puts the mushrooms in your cart, and the only thing left to commit to is the bun.

Swaps that actually work

Leave the portobello alone. It is the entire argument of the dish, and few things bring the same wide, meaty surface to a bun, though a thick cauliflower steak makes a fair stand-in. Everything around it is flexible.

Provolone is the cheese in the recipe, and it melts well. Swiss, mozzarella or a sharp white cheddar are good alternatives if the fridge says otherwise. A blue cheese crumble is for people who want to be noticed.

The balsamic glaze can be changed in small ways. A splash of soy sauce adds depth and a spoonful of Dijon adds bite, though the plain version already gives you the sweet-sour edge you are after. If you have no garlic powder, a little minced fresh garlic in the oil will do, with a little more attention to keep it from scorching.

Mayonnaise is a good canvas. Stir in a little hot sauce, pesto, or lemon zest, and you have a different sandwich every time. Think of it as the thing you swap when you want to seem mysterious.

For the bun, a brioche-style roll leans rich, while a ciabatta roll gives chew. If you are skipping bread altogether, lettuce wraps hold the cap well enough, and the cheese will still be on your side.

If it goes wrong

The mushroom is wet and gray. The gills were left in, the pan was not hot enough, or the cap released water and stewed. Scrape the gills out, heat the pan properly, and if the cap is already soggy, blot it with a paper towel and finish it for a minute in a dry pan to drive off some liquid.

It is bland. It usually wants salt, then acid. Season the cap on both sides and taste a bite before you build. A splash more balsamic or a squeeze of lemon brightens it.

The cheese did not melt. The pan was not covered or not hot enough to trap the heat. Cover it, give it a minute more, and keep the heat steady. If it still looks stubborn, tuck it under a hot broiler for a few seconds, watching closely.

The bun fell apart. The sandwich is juicy, and a soft bun gives up. Toast the cut sides until golden so there is a barrier between bread and filling, and hold the tomato back until the last second. If it collapses anyway, a fork and a knife make this dinner formal, and we will not tell.

What to serve with it

The default is a pile of fries or a crisp side salad, and either is a sound choice. To make the default better, bake sweet potato wedges with a pinch of paprika, or toss a slaw in a sharp vinegar dressing so there is something crunchy to cut the richness.

Something from the crisper drawer can lift it. Pickles, a handful of arugula or a few slices of avocado all fit.

As lunch tomorrow, a cold portobello burger may not be at its best, so go with a warm skillet and a quick rebuild.

Why this one earns its place

You do not have to give up the burger night ritual to have a meatless one. This portobello burger is quick to put together, it looks impressive on a plate, and it does not demand an hour at the stove. When you swipe it into your week, the agent shops the mushrooms, the provolone and the buns, so lunch is not another list you have to make.

It also gives you something to talk about on a first date. Many people have a strong opinion about veggie burgers, and this is a chance to change a few minds. Put one in front of a skeptic and watch the eyebrows.

If you want more to build around it, Homemade In-N-Out Double-Double is the beef-forward cousin for a different night, Falafel Wrap is another meatless lunch with plenty of personality, and our post on decision fatigue and what to eat looks at why picking dinner wears so many of us out in the first place.

More like this: all American recipes in Crave Corner.