Tex-Mex Stuffed Portabellas

(I promise there's a mushroom under there!)

I'm a bit behind on posting recipes....but I made this recipe a few weekends ago with Dave, and it was pretty easy and absolutely delicious! Surprisingly, being a vegetarian, I don't think I have ever cooked portabella mushrooms before. I like them, and have ordered them in restaurants many times, but haven't ever cooked them on my own. This is definitely a good introduction to portabellas for people who haven't tried them before - you can't dislike them in this recipe! (This is another great find from the Moosewood cookbook!)

Each mushroom is supposed to be one serving, but Dave and I each had one and split a third one. So, I would say this makes about 3-4 servings, unless you have a side dish as well.

1.5 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 canned chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
1 yellow and 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced (about 1 cup)
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
4 large portabella mushrooms (4 to 5 inches in diameter)
minced scallions

1. In a skillet on medium-high heat, cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the chipotles and bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the peppers are tender but still firm. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cilantro and tomatoes and two-thirds of the cheese.

2. Break off the stems of the portabellas and save them for another use or discard. Rinse the caps (gently, so they don't break), and place smooth side down in a lightly oiled baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Mound each mushroom with about a cup of the filling. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover the baking dish with foil folded lengthwise to form a little tent so that the foil won't stick to the cheese. (This was a little tricky....but it doesn't need to be perfect.)

3. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese browns, 10-15 minutes. Serve topped with scallions.


Dave and I were so excited to eat these, we forgot the scallions! They aren't necessary for the recipe if you don't want to buy them or don't like them.