Pizza-stuffed Portobello mushrooms

A gluten-free way to enjoy the best part of pizza – the toppings!

While I appreciate a well-made crust, for me the best part of pizza is the toppings. This dish is great because you can customize it to incorporate any of your favourite pizza toppings, above or below the layer of delicious melted cheese. With no crust, this is obviously a gluten-free dish and you can omit the meat for a vegetarian version and use your favourite non-dairy cheese for a vegan treat that’s sure to please. We found that two stuffed mushrooms and a side salad made the perfect sized serving.

Ingredients

• 4 large Portobello mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) olive oil
• 1/2 cup 75 g) diced green pepper
• 1/2 cup (75 g) diced onion
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) pizza sauce
• 1/4 cup (35 g) diced pepperoni or salami (optional)
• 1/4 cup (35 g) diced olives (optional)
• 1/2 cup (60 g) mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Method

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Clean mushrooms and remove stems. Dice stems finely and set aside. Using a small spoon, scoop out and discard the dark brown gills inside the mushrooms; scoop out some of the white flesh also to make room for the filling, taking care to keep mushroom cap intact. Dice the white parts for the filling.
• Make the filling by heating the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet placed over medium heat. Add diced mushroom stems and white parts that you scooped out, onion and green pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pizza sauce, pepperoni and olives, if using.
• Place the prepared mushroom caps upside down on a baking sheet. Divide filling mixture evenly among the caps, packing in gently with your fingers or a spoon. Top each stuffed cap with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of mozzarella.
• Bake 18-20 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked and cheese is browned and bubbly. Garnish with whole or chopped fresh basil leaves and serve hot.

Serves 2; recipe can easily be multiplied.