Grilled Mushroom Sliders

I’m sure you’re familiar with the term “glamping,” in which one goes camping, but usually from the comfort of a hotel room with fluffy robes and round-the-clock meal deliveries. To some (read: me) that’s basically the only kind of camping that should exist. These burgers are basically the grilling version of glamping. You get to be super healthy and use baby portobello mushrooms instead of ground beef patties and cook them on a grill pan from the air-conditioned comfort of your own home, with nary a fly or ray of sun coming anywhere near you.

And if you are the legit grilling/camping sort of person and the above paragraph has offended your every sensibility of what is right and noble in this world, let me make it clear that I take off my hat to each and every one of you. As far as I’m concerned—I who slather SPF like there’s no tomorrow just to walk across a parking lot—you are fearless warriors, so let’s not have any misunderstandings on that score.

That’s smoked gouda cheese, by the way. It’s a whole ‘nother level of awesome and makes little mushrooms taste super meaty and umami-licious.

So yes, we’ve firmly established that I am not exactly the outdoorsy type. However, that definitely does not stop me from enjoying the beauties grilling, especially when—like these burgers—they’re so easy to prepare. You just toss the mushrooms with a little seasoning blend (see the recipe below), grill, and dress it up as you wish. For me, that means a healthy serving of Kewpie mayonnaise, the aforementioned smoked gouda, a slice of campari tomato (because they’re really little and cute like the mushrooms), and a pinch of mixed greens for color and crunch.

Put it all together and you’ve got a super delicious summer bite that’s both quick and healthy, which gives you all the more time to crank up the air-conditioning and watch that beautiful summer day through a nice, big window.

Grilled Mushroom Sliders

A La Kocinera Original Recipe

Printable Recipe

6 slider buns

6 baby portobello mushrooms, caps brushed clean with a damp paper towel and stems removed

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

pinch of brown sugar

pinch of ground cayenne pepper

pinch of salt, to taste

freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

6 small slices smoked gouda cheese

3 roma or campari tomatoes, sliced

lettuce of choice, torn into small pieces

mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard, to taste

In a bowl toss the mushroom caps with olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with olive oil. Once heated, open the slider buns and grill until toasted. Set aside.

Place the mushroom caps on the grill, cap side down, and grill for 3-5 minutes, until slightly softened and grill marks appear. Flip and continue to grill for another few minutes, until the mushroom caps are softened. Place a slice of smoked gouda cheese on top of each mushroom cap and allow to melt as they continue to cook. Set aside.

To assemble, spread mayonnaise, mustard, or ketchup (or whatever sauce you like) on a slider bun, then top with a mushroom cap with cheese. Add whatever else you’d like, in this case I add a slice of campari tomato and some torn lettuce. Repeat this process for the other 5 sliders.

Serve immediately. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make a set of appetizers.