Smoky Portobello Burgers

This may just be my new favourite thing to do with a mushroom! Absolutely lovely!

My husband won't touch mushrooms with a 10-foot pole but I bet normal meat-eaters would be more than happy to eat these! :)
They are vegan if you skip the cheese so they make a great option for grilling if you're having a mixed crowd over.

You can make these into "slider-style" sandwiches using baby portobellos and dinner rolls.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 regular-sized portobello mushrooms (or 8 baby portobellos)
3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 tbsp. BBQ rub (see below)
2 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I love this homemade one)
3/4 cup shredded cheese
4 sesame hamburger buns (or 8 dinner rolls)

BBQ Rub:
(this will make about 3/4 cup of rub. It will keep in the fridge if stored in an airtight container).
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/8 cup paprika
3 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. sea salt or kosher salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Method:
1. Prepare the BBQ rub by mixing all the ingredients together. Toss the mushrooms in a large bowl with 1 tbsp. of the oil and the BBQ rub. Set aside.

2. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and herbes de Provence and cook for 30 minutes or until golden. Remove from the heat.

3. Rub grill grate with veggie oil. Heat the grill over medium-high heat. Place the mushrooms stem-side down on the grill. Brush the tops with BBQ sauce and grill until soft and charred around the edges. Flip and grill a few minutes more. Place a little cheese on the stem-side of each mushroom and grill until the cheese is melted.

4. While the cheese melts, grill the buns. Assemble by placing one mushroom on each of the bottom buns and then top with the sauteed onion mixture and the top bun. Add a little more BBQ sauce to the buns if desired.

Reference:
Smoky Baby Portobello Sliders from the July/August issue of Vegetarian Times.

Changes:
*Used regular-sized mushroom.
*Used cheddar in place of gouda (I bet this would be fantastic with blue cheese!)