These "burgers" are almost good enough to make you think, "Hey, maybe being vegetarian wouldn't be that bad." (Okay, we said almost!) The real deal-sealers are the portobello mushrooms that take on a meaty taste and texture, especially after being marinated and infused with wood smoke. Dress them up with grilled onions and melted cheese and she's a sure-winner.
SMOKED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM "BURGERS"
PREP TIME: 5 minutes plus 4 to 6 hours to marinate
COOK TIME: 50 minutes
RECOMMENDED PELLETS: Any
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
4 large Portobello mushrooms, each 4- to 5-inches across
3/4 cup Traeger Carne Asada Marinade, or your favorite marinade for beef
1 onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
4 ounces mozzarella or muenster cheese, thinly sliced
1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 large kaiser-style hamburger rolls, split
Pickles, lettuce leaves, mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup for serving
PREPARATION
Wipe the mushroom caps clean with a damp paper towel. Remove the stems.
Put the mushrooms and the onion slices into a resealable bag along with the Traeger Carne Asada Marinade. Let marinate, refrigerated, for 4 to 6 hours.
Drain. You can refrigerate the marinade and reuse if desired, since it only touched vegetables, and not meat.
When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes).
Arrange the mushrooms (gill-side down) and onion slices on the grill grate and smoke for 30 minutes.
Increase the temperature to 350 degrees F and flip the mushrooms gill-side up. Cook the mushrooms and onions for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until the mushrooms are tender. The onions can still retain a bit of crunch.
When the mushrooms are almost done, top each with one-fourth of the cheese and let it melt.
Brush the cut sides of the rolls with the melted butter. Grill, cut-side down, for a few minutes, or until they just begin to brown.
Transfer the bottom halves of the buns to plates or a platter. Top with the cheese-filled mushroom, onion slices, tomato, pickle, lettuce leaves, and bun tops. Serve with your favorite condiments.
PRINTABLE RECIPE: