Grilled Mushroom Cheesesteaks
Grilled mushrooms and grilled onions with a light cheese sauce makes for the ultimate vegetarian cheesesteak.
Update and Disclosure: Back in 2015, l participated in a farm tour sponsored by The Mushroom Council but I was not compensated to write this post. Opinions and thoughts are my own but I think I formed my love for mushrooms in the womb. And this recipe is now the second most popular recipe on our blog (here's hthe most popular.)
I have professed my love for mushrooms here many times.
Like with these Grilled Veggie Portabella Mushroom Pizzas and these Loaded Veggie Nachos. Or Gnocchi with Spring Greens and Crimini Mushrooms.
And even though I've lived a mere 25 miles away from The Mushroom Capitol of the World: Kennet Square, PA (due west from Philadelphia) for most of my life, I've never visited a mushroom farm.
But let's get to the recipe first (scroll down to learn more about mushroom farming and my Mushroom Council Tour):
Today, we're talking cheesesteaks (since I'm a Philly girl after all.)
[bctt tweet="#vegetarian Grilled Mushroom Cheesesteaks from a Philly gal @tspbasil #sponsoredtravel"]
If you're a local, you order like so: "One whiz with" which translates to "one cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and with grilled onions." (Typically, your only other cheese choice is provolone.)
Confession: So, I'm actually not a huge cheesesteak fan. Sometimes I go for a chicken cheesesteak or a vegetarian cheesesteak - which is practically blasphemous among cheesesteak purists.
But why not combine one Pennsylvania food treasure into another and this grilled mushroom cheesesteak also fits right into #MeatlessMonday.
My rendition of Cheez Whiz is made with just flour, a pat of butter and some really good cheddar. And if you are mushroom lover like me, I don't think you're going to miss the steak with this baby.
[Affliated Link] --> my favorite grill pan that I use for these cheesesteaks and anytime we're not using the outdoor grill--->Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 11-Inch SquareGrill Pan.
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Grilled Mushroom Cheesesteaks
- Yield: 4 servings. 1x
Description
Grilled mushrooms and grilled onions with a light cheese sauce makes for the ultimate veggie cheesesteak.
Ingredients
For the mushrooms:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced thinly
- 20 ounces baby bella or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the "cheese whiz" sauce:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup low-fat milk (warmed for 1 minute in microwave)
- 4 ounces Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar
- 4 (6-inch) whole-wheat rolls
Instructions
- In a grill pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add mushrooms and grill for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add soy sauce and black pepper, stir and grill for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.
- Place rolls, cut side down on pan and grill for a few minutes until toasted.
- While mushrooms are grilling, make cheese sauce by placing a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add butter and once melted, whisk in flour.
- Slowly pour in warm milk, whisking constantly. Whisk frequently until sauce thickens (about 2 - 3 minutes.)
- Slowly whisk in cheese and whisk until melted. Remove from stove.
- To assemble sandwiches, divide mushrooms evenly among 4 rolls. Pour cheese sauce over mushrooms and serve immediately.
And onto the Mushroom Tour....
Back in June 2015, The Mushroom Council hosted eight of us registered dietitians - half of us bloggers and the other half supermarket RDs for the day learning about the latest in nutrition research, hearing about The Blend promotion and touring two mushroom farms (and of course, eating lots of local mushrooms.)
Heaven.
Some interesting facts and cool tidbits I picked up during the day:
Mushroom Farming
- 65% of the world's mushrooms are grown in this region of Pennsylvania
- Mushroom farmers are the ultimate recyclers - a typical compost used is a mix of straw, hay, horse manure, cocoa shells (from Hershey's chocolate) and corn cobs.
- The most popular mushrooms, white button, take 11 weeks to grow.
- Exotic mushrooms grow the range from oyster mushrooms (about 18 days) to shiitakes (up to 5 months.
One of our swag gifts was an oyster mushroom growing kit from Back To The Roots. And this black thumb gardener grew mushrooms in less than 2 weeks on the kitchen counter - so cool!
Emerging Mushroom Nutrition Research
- Shiittake mushrooms ---> may boost immunity. A study out of University of Florida looked at how dried shiitakes helped to reduce inflammation by activating t-cells in healthy adults.
- White button mushrooms ---> may help slow prostate cancer growth. A recent study published in The Cancer Journal looked at how white button mushroom powder helped slow the rise in PSA levels of prostate cancer patients.
- Next steps ---> The Mushroom Council is looking to fund more studies in cancer prevention and improving gut health and immunity.
Mushroom Cooking Tips
- The Blend: Swap in diced mushrooms for about 30% of ground meat to make healthier burgers, tacos, meatballs, meatloaf (the list goes on.) The benefits:
- Less calories and fat
- Reduced sodium by 25%
- Increased Vitamin D
- Enhanced flavor
- Use diced white button mushrooms when mixing with ground chicken/turkey/pork
- Use diced portabellos when mixing with ground beef
- For some burger inspiration, check out the James Beard Foundation's Better Burger Project and see if there's a restaurant near you with a customized mushroom blended burger on the menu.
Ever had a Philly cheeesteak? What's your favorite way to cook or eat mushrooms?
love this meatless idea! yum
And I didn't plan it but good timing that I posted in this on Meatless Monday 🙂
The tour was so much fun and it was great meeting you in person! I'm not a big cheesesteak fan either so I will definitely need to try this recipe out asap- homemade cheese wiz!? Mind blown!
Likewise - always fun to meet a ReDuxer AND local blogger to boot 🙂 And this knock-off cheese whiz is really just my bechamel sauce base I use for mac n cheese - so easy 🙂
Loving everything about this post, Deanna. Though I think I've had one once in life, I've had an odd craving for a Philly Cheesesteak lately and this would surely satisfy it. I am definitely making the "Cheese Whiz." And now I want a mini-mushroom farm for my kitchen too! Great post... pinning it!
Aww - thanks lady - let me know if you make them for sure!
I am totally craving these now. Honestly. So. Yum.
Wish I could transport down an few of these babies in exchange for whatever Southern dish you are currently cooking up - ha.
Loved having you here for the tour; these Cheesesteaks look amazing. We'll have to try this one out here in our test kitchen.
Thanks for your hospitality - of course would be eager to hear what the To-Jo folks think of this sammie 🙂
I loooove mushrooms. Like really, really love mushrooms. I probably started eating them when I was five years old, haha. I remember my mom would let me help sautee them if we were having them for dinner. Your recipe looks amazing, this is something I would totally make!
Sounds like my childhood! 🙂 Love that you helped your mom sautee them back in the day.
I never knew that 65% of the mushrooms were grown in PA! That's awesome that they compost to the max! I love cheesesteaks--this looks delicious! 😀
I know - such a fun foodie fact 🙂
Oh my gosh, best tour ever! I love mushrooms- they are my favorite meatless swap! 🙂 This sounds like my kinda sandwich, can't wait to try it!
Let me know if you do!
Deanna... this is just too good! I should be from Philly... mushrooms, bread, and cheese = best ever!
I'll make you an honorary Philly gal if you make me an honorary Souther gal, deal? 🙂
This looks soooo good! In high school, we actually used to drive from DC to Philly to get cheesesteaks! I think I once lied to my parents and told them I was having a sleepover when really a group of us were driving to Philly. I suppose I could have been doing worse things!
Get out! That is quite the commitment and drive (where did you get them in Philly??) Love this story and yes, if that's as crazy as you got in high school, I'd say your parents got off easy - lol.
Yum yum Deanna! This recipe looks wonderful and so easy to make! This is a prefect idea for a lunch idea I could throw together on a Saturday afternoon. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Thanks much Rosemary - let me know if you make them!
What a juicy sandwich... looks delish!! I was recently at the CIA in Hyde Park for Menus of Change and the Mushroom Council was there and talking about all the new ways to use mushrooms as the protein flip in burgers and all things traditionally meat! I love this being a seldom meat eater myself and absolutely love mushrooms! What a cool tour! Thanks for sharing (and so cool about the cocoa compost!).
I just made these with my boyfriend. They were so easy and delicious!! We used whole milk for the cheese sauce and added thinly sliced bell peppers to the mix. Definitely saving this for future meals 🙂
Sweet! So glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed and love the addition of the bell peppers - I'm most definitely adding them into the mix the next time I make these - thanks so much for your comment 🙂
So excited to find this recipe!
Can't wait to make it tomorrow. Went shopping tonight and got all the goods!
Thank you!
So glad you found it - let me know how they turn out!
This is great! We are eating a lot more mushrooms in our household these days due to how great they can be for immune health. I actually just made my husband some mushroom, egg & provolone wraps for lunch today! Thanks for the mushroom cooking tips and yum recipe 🙂
Ooh that sounds like a super yummy lunch!
I've never had a cheesesteak of any description (and actually didn't really know what it was until I read your post!) but I'm intrigued now...I'm going to try to make a vegan version of this by using a vegan cheese "wiz" sauce 😉 thank you for the inspiration!
I love mushrooms as a substitute for meat in a dish! They are so hearty and flavorful! These look delicious and your experience sounds amazing!
How in the world did I miss this post and recipe last year?! Was such a fun trip and great to get to see you in person! These mushroom cheesesteaks look amazing! Perfect for this kosher girl 😉
Such a great day together! And yes, regular cheesesteaks aren't exactly kosher, eh? Quite frankly, I think I like this version better than the original thing 🙂
These are soooo good and easy to make! Highly recommend them. I used herbed havarti (that's all I had in the house). A new staple recepie for me now. Thanks for sharing.
I'm so glad to hear you like the recipe and now I want to try it with herbed Havarti -yum!! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂