It’s been a few months since I was laid off and decided to start blogging full-time. I still have moments when I doubt myself or when I think, “You know what? Things would be so much easier if I just had a normal 9 to 5 job.” I’m kind of a doubter by nature–I think no matter what I do in life, I’m always going to second-guess myself. But overall, I’m happy with the decision I made and I’m grateful to be doing something I love. And I don’t know if I’d be in this position today without the support of other bloggers.
(Is this getting sappy? Because I totally did not mean for this post to be sappy.)
When I lost my job, I emailed Julie from The Little Kitchen because I was feeling freaked out and I knew she had just gone through a similar situation herself, ultimately deciding to pursue blogging full-time. Julie immediately gave me her phone number and told me to call her. I think we must have talked for 2 hours that day (while she ran errands!) and I hung up the phone thinking, “Okay. I can do this. Getting laid off was for the best.” She totally talked me down when I was in a state of panic and a spiral of self-doubt.
So now I’m going to steal Julie’s cheesesteak recipe! Well, okay, I’m not really stealing it–hers is made with meat and obviously mine is not. My Portabella Mushroom Cheesesteaks are a mashup of Julie’s cheesesteaks and a sandwich my mom used to make for me and my brother (also a vegetarian) when we were younger. She would sauté some onions, green peppers, and mushrooms, cover them with provolone cheese, and then serve the veggies on crusty rolls. I used Julie’s idea of baking the sandwiches in the oven before serving.
Mushrooms (especially portabellas!) are often used as a substitute for meat, not just for their texture, but for their umami flavor. Umami is one of the five basic tastes–it’s a savory flavor, one that can be found in cured meats, cheeses, and soy sauce. I’ve found that the best way to really bring out the umami in mushrooms is to cook them in a little red wine. It adds a depth of flavor that you just can’t get with butter or oil alone. So if you make this recipe, don’t skip the wine!
Meaty portabella mushrooms replace the beef in these oven-baked vegetarian cheesesteaks. Inspired by The Little Kitchen's cheesesteaks.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 extra-large portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp. red wine
- salt + pepper to taste
- 1 small green pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 8 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese
- 4 sub rolls, sliced lengthwise (don't completely cut the top from the bottom, though!)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes, or until softened and browned. Add wine and increase heat to high. Cook until liquid has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Carefully wipe skillet clean. Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add green pepper and onions; cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Return mushrooms to skillet and stir to combine. Top vegetable mixture with cheese slices. Once cheese has melted, remove from heat.
- Divide veggie mixture into sub rolls. Wrap each cheesesteak tightly with foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and unwrap carefully.
Notes
If you are bothered by such things, you can remove the gills from the mushrooms before cooking them. They have a tendency to discolor the bread and onions a little.
Also follow on:
Hi! I made these a while ago and wanted to give you feedback. I thought they were a decent alternative to the real deal. Granted it didn’t taste much like a cheese steak but I ate it all anyway. I had a whole bunch of mushrooms I needed to use up and this looked to be a good fit. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comment–I’m glad they turned out well!
Just made this tonight and everyone loved it!!!! Thank you for the great recipe…
I’m glad to hear it was a hit!
I made these tonight- pretty yummy! Thanks for the recipe! I’m not much of a cook, only good at following recipes- I was wondering if maybe a few dashes of balsamic vinegar would give it an extra boost? Also, do you have any advice to offer on how to begin blogging full time?
Sure, if you wanted to add balsamic vinegar, that would work.
As for your question about blogging full-time, it’s hard to distill that into one short response. If you’re looking to start a food blog, I recommend Kelly Senyei’s Food Blogging for Dummies. And for blogging in general, ProBlogger is a good resource. There are several different ways to monetize a blog and it’s just a matter of finding one that you’re comfortable with and that’s a fit for your audience & subject matter.
Thank you!
I made these weeks ago without the red wine, as there was just no way I was going to manage to get my hands on any, and these sammiches were really good; myself and my family really enjoyed them. I made them tonight with some leftover Malbec and HOT DAMN, GIRL These are insane. That wine makes all the difference. I ate like half of it straight out of the pan.
Also I just wanted to note for anyone else that I feel like the method could be a little more streamlined. I got my peppers and onions in the pan then sliced up and cooked the mushrooms. They end up cooking simultaneously (esp if you’re like me and want your onions caramelized). Saves a lot of time. JUST ME. Not trying to be critical <3
THE WINE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE! I tell people that all the time about cooking mushrooms–add red wine! It’s like magic.
The first time I made these, I tried making all the veggies together and they ended up steaming because the skillet was just too crowded. Using two pans instead of one is definitely a good solution too–thanks for the suggestion!
Yum! I made this tonight and it was a big hit! My husband was super impressed. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
I’m so glad it was a hit–thanks for letting me know!