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. 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!
Prep Time
10 minutesCook Time
35 minutesTotal Time
45 minutesYield
4 sandwichesIf 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.
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Comments
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!
If you want it to taste more like cheese steak than add some A-1 and a little kitchen while frying up the vegetables.
That WAS Ketchup not kitchen….darn auto correct!
Ha! Well, I figured that’s what you meant. 🙂 Thanks for the tip!
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! 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe (my family LOVES mushrooms!) and being an inspiration. Today is my first day being laid-off from work. This is an annual “event” for those of us who teach, but this summer may be an extended lay-off due to our company losing their contract with National Head Start. I’ve been talking about making lunches and selling them to businesses in the area (Paula Deen style). Thanks for the pep talk–or letter. I think I’ll go for it!
I’m so sorry to hear about your job, but if being laid off allows you the time you need to pursue your passion, then it’s definitely for the best. (And incidentally, I just got back from Savannah and we stayed a few blocks away from Paula Deen’s restaurant–I always think about how she started out too!) Good luck with your business!
Just made this and it is so good. Thanks
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi! My partner and I run a small cafe in Malaysia, and we’ve got a client requesting we carry only vegetarian dishes if possible. We’re not too veggie-savvy, but this looks great, and we would love to add this to our menu if you’re alright with it! Would we be able to cook the mushrooms and veggies in advance (we’re not cooking on the premises), chill it to keep, and then do the last step of baking to reheat just before we serve?
I’ve never made this with reheated veggies, so I can’t answer for certain. I can’t see why it wouldn’t work out, although like anything, it would probably be better eaten right away.
Help! Fahrenheit or centigrade? 🙂
It’s fahrenheit.
Would Balsamic vinegar be a nice substitute for the red wine
I haven’t made this with balsamic vinegar, so I can’t say how it tastes, although I think someone else mentioned using it in the comments.
This was phenomenal!! The only modification I made was adding a bit of soy sauce to the mushrooms. And, of course, I added a little salt, pepper and Italian seasoning for taste. But, it tasted incredible, and was so easy to make. I’ll be making this again soon. Thanks so much for sharing such a winner! (I found your french toast recipe on here a couple months ago, and it was the best breakfast thing I ever tasted. You have the best food blog!)
Thank you for the comment–I’m so glad both recipes were hits! 🙂
If we never doubted ourselves, we wouldn’t be successful. Self-doubt helps you dream bigger. Clearly you are not bogging yourself down in self-doubt! Your blog is amazing! Trying the cheesesteaks this week. ; )
Thank you! 🙂 I do think a little bit of self-doubt can be healthy–when people think they’re invincible, that’s not exactly a good thing. I hope you like the cheesesteaks!
My husband and I made these last night while it was beginning to snow in Greensboro and they are sensational! Thank you for sharing the recipe. They brought back memories of a long ago summer in Philadelphia. We are looking forward to the leftovers tonight.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! We had soup while watching the snow fall here in Raleigh, which seemed very appropriate. I was a wee bit sad to watch it all melt away this afternoon.
We tried these last night and they were much better than we had hoped. In fact, we loved them so much, we’re actually going to make them again here in few days. I love simple/delicious. And that is definitely what you have here. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe–thanks for your comment!
This sandwich was amazing. I am a lover of portabella mushrooms and cheesesteak sanwiches. What I’m thinking now about using steak in the original version is not even necessary. The meatiness of the mushrooms is all you need. Also, cooking in the wine is a great idea and adds so much flavor. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your comment–I’m glad you enjoyed the sandwiches!
I made these last night and they were insane! So easy and so good. I made substitutions based on what I had on band….jarred roasted red peppers, smoked gouda…I also added crushed garlic and sliced pepperoncini to the onion sautê and balsamic vinegar to the mushrooms. While I don’t think the vinegar made much of a difference, the pepperoncini added a nice texture and brightness.
Thank you for such an easy and impressive sandwich. Delicious!
I love the idea of adding smoked gouda – I have such a weakness for smoked cheese! 😀
Digesting these sandwiches at the moment and feeling the good after delicious dinner pleasure 🙂
I didn’t use red wine or vinegar, and red pepper instead of green, but they still were very good – too bad there was no one today to share this food with.
Only one thing went wrong – I burned myself when I touched the corner of the oven when takung the sandwiches out, but IT WAS WORTH IT 😀
I am the QUEEN of burning myself on the oven, the stove, hot pans – pretty much anything! But I’m glad to hear the sandwiches were worth the pain. 🙂
This is one of my favorite meatless meals to make! I pre-toast the bread with olive oil and garlic and add marinara sauce. Soooo delicious! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
I love the idea of adding marinara! 🙂
I made these last night for dinner and the were wonderful!!! Thank you for the recipe………love your website. We’re trying to start eating less meat and I know I’ll be back to your website often.
They’re one of our favorites too – I’m glad you enjoyed them!
These look SO good! I’m going to try making them with vegan cheese. I haven’t had sandwiches like these since before I went vegan and I’m long overdue!
These were so good my cats were trying to steal them off of our plates…that hasn’t happened since I stopped cooking meat almost a year ago. Thank you for such a great site, I’ve yet to try a recipe I don’t like. You make being an aspiring vegetarian very easy and delicious!
Thank you! 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed them – they’re one of my favorites too!
I love these sandwiches! I love wrapping them in foil and baking them, it comes out so perfect! Thank you for sharing. Oh and I tried without wine, just don’t do that! 😉
These look really good and I’d like to try them. I’m not much of a wine drinker though, could you suggest what type of red wine to get for these?
Well we found out that hubby hates Portobello mushrooms lol, but I thought it was delicious!
I realize this is an old post, but do you know of a fast, not messy way to remove gills?
Also, I prefer balsamic to red wine. But, I’m obsessed with it, so I’m sure I’m not objective.
I just hold the mushrooms over the garbage can and use a spoon to scrape the gills right into the trash.