photo updated 4/15 from Deposit Photos bhofack2
Day 118.
We went to a birthday party last weekend and they had a bunch of vegetables roasted in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Along with the roasted zucchini and peppers were slices of portabella mushroom. I couldn't get enough, and kept finding my way back at the buffet table to sneak a little bit more.
Portabella mushrooms are nice big, meaty mushrooms that can mimic the texture of meat in your mouth. They are amazing, and hold up well during slow cooking.
The Ingredients.
4 large portabella mushrooms
1 1/2 cups baby tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I have a bag of gluten free breadcrumbs I keep in the freezer)
The Directions.
--with a paring knife, carefully cut off the stems of each mushroom. Chop the stems up, and put them in a mixing bowl.
--use a spoon to scoop out the brown hairy looking stuff from the mushrooms. Put that in your mixing bowl, too.
--chop up the tomatoes, and add them to the mix along with the bread crumbs, olive oil, vingegar, cheese, and spices.
--mix it up.
--smear a bit of olive oil on the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert
--put the mushroom caps on top of the oil. I have a large 6qt, and my mushroom caps did not fit "nicely"---they were kind of on top of each other at the edges and were leaning a bit up the sides of the stoneware.
It's okay. They will still cook for you.
--spoon your filling mixture on top of the mushrooms. Remind yourself that you aren't making food to appear on the Food Network ---this is for your family. It needn't look "perfect!"
Cover and cook on low for 4-7 hours. I left our mushrooms on for 6 hours and served them over rice.
Except Adam went out and got a steak for himself to go along with his mushrooms.
The Verdict.
These were moist, flavorful and amazingly delicious. It reminded me of fancy restaurant food. The mushrooms themselves were perfectly seasoned, but the sauce at the bottom of the crock was a bit too vinegar-y for my taste to put on top of the rice as gravy.
The kids picked out the tomatoes, and were polite enough when they asked for salami and cheese.
I would count on only serving 2 grownups with these proportions, but I think if you layered the mushrooms and filling you could fill a whole crock up nicely.
------ on a side note, this site surpassed 100k visits yesterday. Which is amazing, mind-boggling, and thrilling all at the same time. Thank you for passing my recipes along and testing them out---this is a lot of fun and so far my family hasn't committed me. ;-)
Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at April 26, 2015
Labels: crockpot, gluten free, main course, vegetables, vegetarian,
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What they say about this article
Ice Cream4/27/2008
I was drooling before I even started reading. I didn't even know what it was a picture of but it looked saucey and caramely.
I bet this would make for a yummy roasted veggie sandwhich. Throw in some bell peppers, and some asparagus in there (closer to the end time) and put it on a toasted hoagie roll with melted cheese and top with basil-cilantro mayo...
ok, I need to go wash the drool of my chin.Anonymous4/27/2008
wow, this sounds super. produce mkt, here i come! thanx. and congrats on the milestone for the site.
TheMama4/27/2008
That looks seriously yummy! I found your blog through Parent Hacks, and I am now reading you daily. I tried the 16 Bean Soup, and it was a big hit. I'm excited about going through the archives and trying some more recipies
I don't use my crock pot enough either, and with a busy husband and an active one year old, I should take all the kitchen help I can get.
Keep up the good work!
Anonymous4/27/2008
I come on here everyday to see what new thing you have cooked. I also passed your site along to my family and friends. We all love it and can't wait to see what your "crockpotting" next!
Anonymous4/29/2008
I usually walk right past the mushrooms when I shop but today I stopped and looked at them. Did not buy any but I think you've inspired me to give them another go.
You have also inspired me to use my slow cooker* more often and experiment a little more.
*Australian name for crock pot
Unknown1/02/2010
I tried this today. I love how the mushroom was still firm and earthy. Not mushy at all. And it looks exactly like your image which was pretty fantastic. This is a crowd pleaser. Modifications: more cheese, more bread crumbs a bit less balsamic.
Anonymous2/14/2011
These were just delicious. I used those cherub tomatoes, which are very sweet naturally, and it was perfect. The tomatoes were super sweet and delicious. This has become a regular at my house.
Lisa C12/07/2011
I made this last night and the only thing I substituted was grated cheese instead of shredded. I served it over brown rice for dinner and will eat it over a small salad for lunch today. It was incredible! It was so good that nobody even asked "Where's the meat?"! I am still relatively new to slow cooking and I really appreciate having this website as a resource.
Nae Nae11/20/2012
YUMMY - can't wait to try this one! I order a roasted portabello & veggie sandwich at a favorite restaurant. They grill everything, put it on a yummy ciabatta bread and melt yummy cheese all over the veggies. I'm starting with THESE mushrooms, but going the sandwich direction. Thank you for the easy recipe, looks marvelous!
