~Jackie~
You might be looking at this picture and be thinking…mushroom??…looks more like a brownie, ice cream, fudge, and nutty delicious dessert. Well, it’s not! That’s what I thought too after I made this side dish for dinner and was looking through my pictures. My husband was slightly disappointed that it was indeed a mushroom and I wasn’t giving him a brownie to go alongside his chicken. Although, we were both quite pleased when we sunk our teeth into this mouth-watering, cheesy, and tangy grilled mushroom stuffed caprese. You will be too, I promise.
A few weekends ago I was up in the mountains in Frisco and we were in a book store (because we want to be those people that buy books and actually read them). Naturally I skipped past all the best sellers and headed straight for the cookbooks section. I could sit there for hours looking at different recipes and finding inspiration, but I think the sales people get annoyed of me. In one Colorado cookbook I saw a recipe using mushrooms and all the classic ingredients to make caprese and thought that was a brilliant pairing! I went home and created my own version and #nailedit. I created another stuffed portabello mushroom recipe that my friends and family loved this year, so I know they will love this one too!
Caprese is one of my favorite salads because of its simplicity and bright appearance. In Italy it is traditionally served as an antipasto (starter) and is made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and seasoned with salt and a little extra virgin olive oil. The list is short, but it is important to get flavorful quality ingredients. For my version I added in a few more ingredients to be fancy, but only takes about 15 minutes to make! To start, toast some pine nuts (any kind of nut works) in a small dry skillet until they are slightly brown. In a small sauce pot add your balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until it starts to get thick (you can add a little sugar to the pot to speed up the process). Heat up your grill and prep your mushrooms with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill for 5 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other. Top the mushrooms with tomato, basil, and mozzarella and broil for about 5 minutes until cheese starts to melt. Finish the mushrooms with pine nuts and drizzle with balsamic glaze. These are great as an appetizer or served alongside some protein for a scrumptious meal. Enjoy!
- 2 large portabello mushrooms
- 1/8 cup pine nuts
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 large ripe red tomato, sliced thick
- 2 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced thick
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- Toast pine nuts in a small dry skillet until they are slightly brown, set aside.
- In a small sauce pot add your balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until it starts to get thick (add a little sugar to speed up the process).
- Heat grill to high and prep mushrooms with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill for 5 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other.
- Line sheet pan with foil and place grilled mushrooms on pan. Pour a little balsamic vinegar in center of mushrooms.
- Fill the mushrooms with tomato, basil, and mozzarella and broil for about 5 minutes until cheese starts to melt.
- Top the mushrooms with pine nuts and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
- Add more basil to garnish.
- For bite sized party appetizers use small portabello mushrooms.
