Mushroom Grilled Cheese

The easiest way to clean mushrooms without making them soggy is to wipe them with a damp paper towel or use a soft brush to remove dirt, rather than rinsing them under water. Mushrooms soak up water like sponges and extra moisture can make your filling soggy and steam instead of sauté properly. Once clean, slice them and sauté until the liquid evaporates and they turn golden before adding to your sandwich.

The best cheeses are melty, creamy varieties that pair nicely with the earthy mushrooms such as cheddar, Gruyère, provolone, mozzarella or a mix of two or three. A blend adds both gooey texture and richer flavour and grated or thinly sliced cheese melts more evenly. From experience we suggest combining cheese types to balance flavour and melt quality.

Ideally cooking the mushrooms first helps release and evaporate extra moisture, develop deeper flavour and prevent the bread from getting soggy. Sauté them in a little butter or oil until they are golden and most of the liquid has cooked off, then add them to your sandwich with the cheese. We recommend not to skip this step because it results in better results.

Sure you can. A splash of balsamic vinegar, dry white wine or even some fresh lemon juice added toward the end of cooking gives the mushrooms extra depth and brightness. Just make sure the liquid cooks off before assembling the sandwich so they don’t steam and make the bread soft.

A sturdier bread like sourdough, whole wheat, rye or thick-cut sandwich bread is best because it holds up to the mushrooms and cheese without getting soggy. Soft, flimsy bread can get too moist and tear easily, so choose something with enough structure to toast nicely on the pan.

To prevent sogginess cook all the mushroom liquid off before adding them, butter the outside of your bread well and layer cheese both under and over the mushroom filling so it forms a barrier against moisture. Cooking the sandwich over medium-low heat also helps the cheese fully melt while the outside crisps up evenly.