mushroom parmesan

My husband and I are bantering here. We’re having issues on what is and is not an entree. A few points of contention: soup and salad. He says a bowl of soup is not filling enough to be an entree, and salad should not be bothered with because it is pointless and both would fall under the side dish category. I however, disagree and say both are very filling as an entree. Next disagreement was over mushroom parmesan. When he claimed that mushroom parmesan was an entree, I decided I had enough of his foolishness and set out to prove him wrong. He decided to do some research as well, by eating my proof (all of my proof), making the 4 servings filling enough to be an entree.

But really I don’t know why I’m complaining, this all just means I can spend fifteen minutes making a small little side dish instead of worrying about an actual meal. And truth be told, this would certainly be an entree for a vegetarian (my husband has my arm pinned behind my back and forcing me to one-arm peck this sentence out.) Ok, not really, I just thought it was a no-duh moment when he said that. I guess we both win. What do you think, side dish (yes) or entree (no)?

One Year Ago: Strawberry Shortcakes

Mushroom Parmesan
Barely adapted from Giada

Serves 4

Note: My mushrooms after being brushed with a thin coat of oil seemed to be extremely wet and heavy. Even with paper towel pat downs before sauteing and layering, they still seemed to look greasy and ended up puddling their grease in the bottom of the baking dish. I would skip “oiling” the mushrooms and instead just add oil to the pan. Also I think this needed a little extra flavor oomph, perhaps bread crumbs, garlic, pancetta, or fresh herbs like thyme or basil, maybe even a squeeze of lemon juice. This recipe is basically a good starting point for something better.

4 to 6 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup tomato sauce, I primarily use this one these days
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Place a medium saute pan over medium heat and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Saute mushrooms until they are heated through and tender, about 5 minutes per side.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Place the mushrooms on top of the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with both cheeses and top with the butter pieces. Bake until the cheese melts and the top is golden, about 15 – 20 minutes. Serve.