Mushroom Cheesesteak

Mushrooms are one of my favorite additions to a meal. I love it on pizza, with pasta, and you better believe on a cheesesteak. Heck, I even made mushroom soup (and it was damn good, too). They're definitely the kind of food with a lot of passion behind it. Extreme emotions often come out, between passionate aficionado and hater of fungi.

This recipe is definitely for the pro-shroom crowd. But we're taking it up a notch and using portobellos. These dudes tend to be larger and have a more meaty flavor and texture. From a health perspective, portobello mushrooms are light and have a lot of vitamins, from vitamin B to potassium. 

I used a mix of regular portobello mushrooms and baby bellas, but you can use all of one if preferred. Doesn't really matter. I will say that using portobellos means bigger strips, which perhaps may impact how much like sliced steak this could be. 

Ironically, I forgot to get mushrooms at the grocery when I was prepping for this recipe. Don't ask me how I even got down the road of a cheesesteak like this. It just kind of grew in my brain (like a fungus!). I bought all the other stuff - bread, green peppers, a random Aldi candle - and left the store, then had to face palm and run in for the mushrooms. Hey, at least I remembered before heading home.

To get the filling ready, I first cooked the green peppers and onions for a few minutes to soften them. Mushrooms cook pretty fast, so I wanted to give the others a head start. I also added Worcestershire sauce, because this adds to the meaty flavor.

The mushrooms will shrink significantly and release a lot of water so draining the pan may be necessary at the end.

Once the mushrooms were softened, I drained the pan and spooned the filling onto a roll and topped it with cheese. Finally, I toasted the whole thing to melt the cheese and toast the bread.

I mean, come on - this looks good.

I have to say...this one impressed me. I already have a mushroom bias, but this really passed the meaty test. The texture was right, the flavor was good, and it had a great flavor. Not the flavor of a steak imposter, but its own independent kind of good.

One of the great things is how easy this can be scaled. Add some more mushrooms and expand the results. I think next time I'd throw some dijon mustard in the mix to add a little kick, taking a note from stroganoff, but for a 10-15 minute meal? Dude. Yes!

Mushroom Cheesesteak Recipe

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons cooking oil
3-5 portobello mushroom caps (or 3-4 cups baby bella sliced mushrooms)

1 green pepper, sliced into strips

1 onion, sliced into strips

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Roll or hoagies as desired

Sliced provolone cheese

Instructions:

Rinse mushrooms well. If using portobello mushrooms, slice into thin strips. Add onion and pepper to a large skillet with cooking oil and heat to medium-high. Cook for 3-5 minutes, then add mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about 5-7 more minutes, until mushrooms have softened. Stir throughout this process to cook mushrooms evenly. Drain liquid from pan if needed. Spoon mushroom mixture onto a roll, then top with cheese. Toast if desired.

Serves 4