Grilled Portabella Pizzas

Total Time: 
30 minutes
Yield: 
4 servings
Ingredients: 
  • 4 large portabella mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella (or 2 ounces crumbled feta)

Optional ingredients for seasoning and toppings: fresh basil leaves, sea salt, black pepper; and preferred pizza toppings (e.g., black olives, green peppers, pepperoni, etc.)

Instructions: 

Gently clean portabellas with a damp paper towel. Trim the stems with a paring knife and use a spoon to scrape the dark brown gills from the underside of the cap. (Tip: Save the stems and gills to make mushroom stock.)

Arrange the sauce, cheeses and topping in small bowls and line them up on a work surface.

Brush the underside of the caps with olive oil and grill, oiled side down, for 3 to 4 minutes over a medium-high flame.

Place the caps on the work surface, cooked side facing up, and if desired season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of sauce around the cap. Go easy on the sauce as the mushrooms will give off liquid when they cook, and too much sauce can make them soggy. Sprinkle with cheese to cover, then add optional toppings if desired such as black olives, fresh basil leaves and green pepper. Gently place back on the grill (toppings facing up) and cook another 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.