Who wants a tasty BLT without carbs? You do? Awesome, because I made you Open Face Mushroom BLT’s! Who needs bread when you can eat mushrooms, I mean really? Ever since I started making pre-made salads for our weekday lunches, I’ve stopped buying bread. I love bread but haven’t had a need for it. We were craving BLT’s for dinner but didn’t feel like buying an entire loaf of bread, knowing the majority of it would go to waste.
Portobello mushrooms are the perfect vehicle for bread-less BLT. Their earthy taste gives this dish a subtle yet undeniable amount of depth. I added avocado and a fried egg for extra richness to round out the meal. The recipe can be made in roughly 20 minutes, it’s the perfect, simple weeknight meal.
True confession time – I wanted to share a Poke Bowl recipe with you this week, but my photography was weak. I couldn’t get a handle on it.
After I took a picture and thought, “Ewww, that looks gross.”
I can’t bring you janky ass food photos as a food blogger! Don’t get me wrong, I still consider my photography skills amateur, but it’s a good rule of thumb to not share photos that look unappetizing. I nixed the Poke Bowl recipe and whipped together Open Face Mushroom BLT instead. I’m not giving up on my Poke Bowl, I just need to regroup and reshoot.
Personal stories from my lifetime…
Remember when I said my Chicago condo was supposed to close on August 8th?
Whelp, my buyer couldn’t get a conventional loan through his bank because 2 unit owners are delinquent on their HOA dues. If 2 people are behind on their dues, it jeopardizes another unit owner’s ability to sell. Luckily, my buyer didn’t back out on the offer, he’s trying to obtain another type of loan. Unluckily for me, the condo board members are not being helpful. The treasurer is a miserable woman who’s difficult to work with. I admit I’m difficult too, but she brings bitchy to whole new level. She either ignores my emails or gives quick, unhelpful, snarky responses. I don’t know what I did to deserve the cold shoulder from this woman but I look forward to never speaking to her again.
After two years of self-management, the board hired a company to manage the building starting July 2016. The new company has been nice to work with but they’re not privy to key bits of information my attorney needs for the sale. The management company answered some questions about the delinquent unit owners but then refers other questions to the board. The board turns around and says questions need to be answered by the management company! It’s frustrating. Maybe there’s a legal reason everyone is being tight-lipped?
We are running in circles trying to get the information needed to close my condo. The new closing date is September 8th. My renter moved out in July. I can’t afford to keep floating 2 mortgage payments so fingers crossed the board cooperates so my buyer doesn’t bail. Sigh 🙁
Back to the Open Face Mushroom BLT’s…
Like I said before, I was planning on sharing a Poke Bowl recipe which didn’t work out. I wasn’t planning on sharing this recipe, but it worked out so well, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tell you about it!
This recipe comes together in roughly 20 minutes. You crisp the bacon, sauté the mushrooms, fry the egg, stack the remaining ingredients on top of each other, and dinner is served, baby!
I googled “mushroom BLT’s” and found most people substitute the mushroom for the bacon, but I haven’t found a recipe where they substitute the mushroom for the bread. The bread tastes amazing but I don’t use it for any recipes during the week, not even lunch, I eat salad.
My local grocer doesn’t sell individual pieces of bread and I was too lazy to hunt down a bakery that might. Plus I’m too frugal to buy an entire loaf of bread, then throw more than half of it away. I thought, if I serve the BLT on top of a mushroom, I get an added flavor, added nutrients, and no waste. Winning!
I prefer the simple flavors of mushrooms sautéed in olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper, but if you love mayo on your BLT’s, add it! Most BLT’s aren’t severed with a fried egg, otherwise, the name would be BELT. I don’t know about you, but eating a BELT for dinner doesn’t sound appetizing, however, serving a fried egg with this dish added an extra satisfying richness.
Everyone’s taste buds are different so if you love the concept, tinker around with the ingredients until you find what you like. Add spinach or regular lettuce if you hate arugula, omit the bacon and egg if you’re vegan, add mayo or a sauce if you’re a sauce person. The sky’s the limit!
I hope you try this Open Face Mushroom BLT and enjoy it as much as we did!
Thanks for stopping by,
Christina
- 2 portobello mushrooms, cut out the stem and wipe off any dirt with a damp cloth or paper towel.
- 4 pieces of bacon
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Handful of arugula
- 2 eggs (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- Cook the bacon in a skillet until it reaches the crispiness you desire. Drain the bacon on a paper
towel lined plate and set aside until needed. Wipe out the excess grease with another paper towel. - Coat both sides of each mushroom with olive oil, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Using the same skillet as the bacon, add a little oil (if needed) and add your mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they are tender, but still firm, approx 4 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate until needed.
- Using the same skillet, adding oil if need be, fry your eggs. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the eggs while they cook.
- When the eggs are almost finished cooking, assemble your Open Face Mushroom
BLT's . Start with the mushroom on the bottom, topped with some arugula, then the tomato, then the bacon, then the avocado, then finally the fried egg. - Cut into the yolk so it drips down on top of the other ingredients, then enjoy!!!
Calorie Breakdown
2 portobello mushrooms – 66
4 pieces of bacon – 172
1 tomato – 22
1 avocado (optional) – 250
Handful of arugula – 5 (maybe less)
2 eggs (optional) – 199
Total calories for 2 Open Face Mushroom BLT’s – 714
Calories for 1 – 357
*I didn’t add the olive oil in my calorie count b/c it depends on how much you want to use. If you add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to each BLT, you’re adding 119 calories to each amount.
*Note, I am not a nutritionist, nor am I pretending to be. I found the calorie counts by reading the nutrition labels on the food I purchased, searching Google, and using my Lose It! app on my phone.using my Lose It! app on my phone.
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This looks amazing – all of my favorites! We go through a lot of bread with my kids, so buying a loaf is never a problem. I wonder if you could buy a loaf and freeze slices individually or paired together in a ziplock? Bread freezes so well.
Hi Kerry! Thanks for taking the time to comment. You’re right, freezing bread is a good choice! Oddly we don’t eat sliced bread anymore, none of the recipes I make each week seem to call for it. BUT, when I’m really craving some carbs, freezing unused bread is an excellent solution 😀