A friend sent me a photo of this dish, and without looking at the recipe that she provided, I started gathering ingredients. I can be impulsive that way, obviously. My taste testers were a bit dubious at first, but as things started coming together and the delicious aroma
filled the kitchen, they became more excited about testing my experiment.
Technically I think this is a pizza, though the mouthfeel was more like a very cheesy lasagne.
Portobello Cap Pizza
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake 40 minutes at 375F
Ingredients:
4 large Portobello caps, open, no stem (4-5 inches in diameter)
8oz of pizza or pasta sauce, red or alfredo
8oz Italian blend cheese, shredded
2oz Parmesan, shredded
6-8oz fresh Mozarella, sliced
roast chicken
pepperoni
black olives, sliced
Cleaned mushroom cap.
Clean mushroom caps with a cloth, then remove the stems. Discard stems or compost as preferred.
Removing stem and level cutting the cap.
Slice a layer off the top of the mushroom cap (the smooth side, not the gill side) to provide a flat, stable surface.
Mushroom meat will be tough and spongy. Place caps gill side up on a prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle shredded cheese into the gills of the cap. Use just enough that when the cheese melts, it will fill in the gills. This will help your other ingredients to stick in place, and not slide off the mushroom cap while eating. Then spread a couple of tablespoons of sauce over the cheese.
Place slices of mozzarella in a single layer on top of the sauce.
Smear on another thin layer of sauce.
Add other ingredients in single layers. We used black olives, roast chicken, and pepperoni. Be careful not to over stack or the toppings will slide off during baking.
Sprinkled Parmesan on top to form slight crust.
Sprinkle some shredded Italian blend cheese on top of the pepperoni with a little of the shredded Parmesan. Make sure the Parmesan is on top as it will crust and help hold the other toppings in place.
Bake at 375F for approximately 40 minutes to allow all layers of cheese to get melty.
As you can see, a LOT of fluid will cook out of the mushroom cap. Be sure to choose a pan with sides high enough to retain all the drippings.
Using a wide spatula, emplate and enjoy!
Serving this meal with a green salad on the side or any of your other favorite pizza accompaniments.
Photos by Christopher. As always, for a larger view of any photo, simply click on it.
— Ann Cathey
thewanderingtexans 