I’m having a love affair.
Lately it’s all about blue cheese. I’ve always liked it, but right now I’m in a full-on blue cheese moment — calling it a vortex might even be accurate. Everything I make seems better with its tangy, creamy bite. If food had a portal, send it through the blue cheese one and I’ll catch it on the other side.
Okay, maybe I’ve binged a bit of Stranger Things. Maybe not.
For some reason I always want portobello burgers on English muffins. I’ve used English muffins for other mushroom burgers — like portobello gouda burgers with roasted garlic and asiago portobello burgers with roasted red peppers — because the texture is perfect. Mushrooms don’t have the same bite as beef, and when I’m eating portobellos I’m celebrating them for what they are, not trying to trick myself into thinking I’m eating steak. A crunchy, slightly chewy English muffin gives the texture contrast I crave.
Yes, I can get excited — and yes, I’ll talk about buns and mushrooms at length. Food excites me. Can you blame me?
Here’s what I did this time: I filled large portobello caps with blue cheese and covered them so the cheese would melt and become irresistibly creamy. These work great in a skillet or on the grill — you just want resilient, hefty mushroom caps that hold their shape.
Honestly, I could eat these blue cheese–filled caps by the half dozen. Use smaller mushrooms for a fantastic appetizer and garnish them with fresh herbs, roasted peppers, or a sprinkle of garlic brown-butter breadcrumbs for extra richness.
They’d also be an excellent addition to a large cheese board or a simple summer cheese plate — the blue cheese-stuffed mushrooms offer a bold, savory counterpoint to fruit, crackers, and milder cheeses.
Back to the burgers: I topped each blue cheese–filled cap with a mound of crispy fried shallots and a handful of grilled corn — because summer and grilled corn are inseparable in my book. The sweet pop of charred corn pairs perfectly with the tang of blue cheese and the crunch of the English muffin.
If you love grilled corn as much as I do, you’ll recognize the obsession. I use it in avocado toasts, salads, gnocchi, pasta, and more — it’s that versatile and addictive. But for these burgers it’s the small kernels of smoky sweetness that balance the savory mushroom and cheese.
After assembling each burger, I add extra crumbles of blue cheese and the crispy shallots right before serving so the texture stays crisp and the cheese remains melty. A piece of butter lettuce on the bottom keeps things fresh and adds a slight crispness under the mushroom cap.
Let’s make a deal for the rest of the summer: drink grapefruit beer, pile grilled corn on top of everything, fry all the shallots, and stuff as many mushrooms with cheese as possible. That’s a win in my book.
Blue Cheese Portobello Burgers
4
45 mins
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large portobello mushroom caps, stems removed
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 6 ounces blue cheese, plus more for topping
- 4 large pieces butter lettuce
- 2 ears grilled corn
- 4 English muffins or buns of your choice
Crispy shallots
- 2 large shallots, peeled and sliced
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- vegetable or canola oil for frying
Instructions
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the mushroom caps and toss to coat, then stir in the garlic. Cook the mushrooms about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until tender and juicy. Add the balsamic vinegar, toss to coat, reduce heat to low, and season with salt and pepper. Fill each mushroom cap with roughly 1 ounce of blue cheese and cover the skillet until the cheese melts.
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To assemble, place a piece of butter lettuce on the bottom half of the English muffin, top with the mushroom cap, add extra blue cheese, then pile on crispy shallots and grilled corn. Serve immediately.
Crispy shallots
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Heat about 2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan to roughly 350°F (test by dropping in a shallot slice — it should sizzle immediately). While the oil heats, mix the flour, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder and pepper. Dredge the shallot slices in the seasoned flour, then fry in batches until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining shallots.
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p.s. those are homemade pickles up there — yes, they’re homemade. Want the recipe?