Portobello Sliders

We had friends over for dinner last night and I knew I had to make one of my favorite vegetarian meals - Portobello Sliders.  These little burgers are so flavorful, you don't even think about not having meat as a main course. I paired the burgers with sweet potato fries and a romaine salad with homemade roasted garlic dressing.  Don't worry - all the recipes will be coming your way because you will definitely want to make all of it! 

Portobello Sliders

Ingredients:
12 "stuffer sized" portobello mushrooms.  (Weis carries them if you are a PA person)
2 tbsp dry rub (optional - can use a pre-made or make mine**)
6 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
1 large yellow onion
2 tsp olive oil
12 slider rolls (I used Pepperidge Farm - wheat)
1/2 cup barbeque sauce (There is no other BBQ sauce in my life other than Sweet Baby Rays!!)

** Recipe Below

Start by slicing your yellow onion and sauteing it in a small pan with 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium-low heat.  You want your onions to be golden brown, soft and caramelized.  This process will take about an hour.  Stir them occasionally so that they do not burn.  When your onions are almost done, start the grill and begin working with your mushrooms.

Wash and de-stem your mushrooms.  Place them hole side down on a dish.  Sprinkle with dry rub and set aside until you are ready to grill. 

Once the grill is hot, brush a little olive oil on the top of the mushroom and place them hole side up on the grill.  Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until beginning to get soft.  Now, brush a little BBQ sauce in the hole and flip them over.  This will allow the BBQ to caramelize a bit on the mushroom.  Cook about 3 minutes like that.  Brush the top of the mushroom with BBQ sauce and flip again so that the other side will caramelize.  Now that the hole side is up again, reduce the heat to low and stuff some of the shredded Gouda cheese into each of the holes.  Fill with cheese to the top - don't be shy!  Cook only until the cheese is melted, you don't want your mushrooms to get too soft and fall apart. 

Now you have to toast your buns!  When the cheese is melting, open all of your slider buns and place them on the grill with the inside part touching the grill.  They will toast quickly so don't walk away for too long!

Time to assemble these bad boys! Take your bun, and place a mushroom on the bottom part - cheese side up.  Top with caramelized onions and a bit more BBQ sauce on the top.  Close it up and enjoy. 

You are going to LOVE these.  I promise!

Dry Rub (I use it on EVERYTHING!!)

Ingredients
8 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp old bay
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix it all together and use it on everything! I store mine in an old shaker container and just sprinkle it on meats and veggies before they go on the grill.