After a couple of weeks apart, tonight my beloved smoker and I were reunited with much fanfare: a new recipe! The smoked portobello mushrooms are nothing new, but the eggplant (and red pepper) additions really made our sandwiches pop. Thus, a new recipe was born at tonight’s Sunday Cookout.
The weather couldn’t have been better for a smoker party tonight: Dry, but nice and chilly, the temperatures were just perfect for a night around the ol’ stainless-steel drum. Not that I spent a great deal of time babysitting the feast; that’s the beauty of the smoker, after all. Fix it and forget it! (But do check on it occasionally to ensure your back yard isn’t burning down.)
As the two-hour mark elapsed, I heated up some tater tots inside and steamed some mixed vegetables to round out our meal. Those eggplant slices take up a great deal of real estate on the grill grates! Once the mushrooms and eggplant was ready, we layered up our sandwiches with goat cheese, roasted red pepper, and all the trimmings, and we feasted like royalty. I can’t think of a better way to officially welcome in the winter season!
Recipe below. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
SMOKED PORTOBELLO AND EGGPLANT SANDWICHES
Serves four
What you’ll need:
For the marinade:
4 tbsp. olive oil (or more to taste)
4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
For the rest of the meal:
4 Portobello mushroom caps, washed
1 eggplant, sliced
1 jar roasted red peppers
8 oz. goat cheese
1 head (or bag) of lettuce
1 tomato, sliced
4 hamburger buns
Condiments, to taste (we used Just Mayo)
First, marinate the mushrooms in a zip-top bag with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, minced dried onion, and garlic powder. Leave in the refrigerator for at least one hour, up to four.
Next, just prior to starting the smoker, slice the eggplant and top each slice with salt and chipotle seasoning (pepper also works). Let stand on a plate while the smoker heats up.
Fire up the charcoal smoker to medium heat. Once it has heated up for a few minutes, place the mushroom caps on the lower rack (nearer the heat) and the eggplant slices on the upper rack. Close the lid and smoke everything for two hours.
Once everything is cooked through, remove everything from the grill and prepare to create your sandwiches! First, top the hamburger buns with the condiments of your choice (we elected to use Just Mayo). Next, place one of the mushroom caps on the bottom slice of the bun, then top with 2 oz. of the goat cheese. Then top the mushroom with roasted red pepper slices, then a slice of eggplant, then the lettuce and tomato. Place the top of the bun on your creation, dig in, and enjoy!
:)