Creamed Kale, Lentil, and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Blue Cheese

These stuffed mushrooms might not be the food models of the century. BUT they are damn good. And that is good enough for me. 😋

The inspo behind these is a fancy steak dinner! You got the creamed kale (standing in for spinach because kale is in season), the caramelized onions and blue cheese (both amazing with beef), and the thick and juicy portobello mushroom. All those flavors in one: steak who?

Originally I had made these without the lentils but they were leaning on the side of overly rich. Lentils play a great role here by providing some protein and heft, they make them more filling while absorbing all the savory-sweet flavors going on. Now I wouldn’t eat this without them!

I thought about not posting them because the pics are kind of meh. Let’s be real. However, sometimes good food isn’t fancy – thank the lord – sometimes it is humble and yet surprising in it’s complexity. That is what we have going on here people!

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Creamed Kale, Lentil, and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Blue Cheese and Breadcrumbs

Servings: 3 

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 3 portobello mushroom caps
• 1 cup of cooked brown lentils
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 bunch of kale (about 16 ounces), shredded w/ stems removed
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 ounces of blue cheese
• 1 tbsp. of breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp. of butter
• 2 tbsp. avocado oil (or other cooking oil)
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• crushed red pepper flakes and parsley for topping (optional)

How-to:

1. Add 1 tbsp. of the butter and oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions to the pan and add a pinch of salt. Allow to cook over medium, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until caramelized and deeply browned. Onions should brown evenly but not blacken or burn. If they cook too fast, turn down the heat. You can also add a bit of water to help them retain moisture, but do not add too much or it will dilute the flavor. 
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
3. When onions are almost perfectly caramelized, add the balsamic vinegar. 
4. Add the remaining oil and butter to the pan along with the minced garlic and cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
5. Add the lentils and kale.
6. Allow kale to wilt by half, then add the half a cup of cream and a pinch of salt. 
7. Cook until cream has reduced and thickened into a sauce, turn up the heat if needed but be careful not to break the cream. 
8. While the filling is finishing up, scrape the brown gills from the inside of the mushrooms with a spoon and remove the stem. Wipe mushrooms clean and rub a bit of oil on the outside.
9. Taste filling and adjust seasoning. 
10. Fill portobellos with filling. Pack it in good!
11. Top with crumbled blue cheese and 1 tsp of breadcrumbs per mushroom. 
12. Cook in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and breadcrumbs are golden brown. 

Notes: 

• Caramelized onions can be made ahead of time and then added to the rest of the filling before cooking. 
• Alternatively the filling can be made ahead of time and then added to the mushrooms prior to cooking, but note that the cream will cook out more this way (I think due to the temp change from fridge to oven).