Steakhouse Mushroom & Swiss Melt (2 servings)
Full recipe — serves 2
Less left over? Make half with half the saved food and half the added ingredients.
AI-generated leftover idea inspired by Mary’s original recipe. This variation has not been tested by Mary.
Ingredients
- Reserve 3/4 lb (12 oz) of the cooked whole cremini mushrooms and about 1/3 cup of the finished red‑wine garlic butter sauce from the original recipe. leftover Steakhouse Whole Mushrooms in Red Wine Garlic Butter
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter (for toasting bread)
- 1/4 small yellow onion (about 1 oz), thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 slices Swiss cheese (or provolone), about 1 oz each
- 2 slices sturdy sandwich bread (about 2 × 1/2-inch thick slices) or 2 small rolls
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Slice any whole mushrooms in half if they are larger than 1 inch so slices sit well on the bread. Reserve the 3/4 lb (12 oz) mushrooms and 1/3 cup sauce at room temperature for assembly.
- Heat a 10-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering (about 325–350°F surface). Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and the thinly sliced 1/4 small onion; cook 3–4 minutes, stirring, until softened and starting to brown at the edges.
- Add the reserved mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce to the skillet with the onions. Cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms are warmed through and the sauce has recoated them — they should be glossy and steaming with no raw liquid pooling.
- Meanwhile, butter one side of each bread slice with 1 teaspoon butter. Place the buttered side down on a clean plate and top each with a slice of Swiss cheese. Keep bread ready for the skillet.
- Push the mushroom mixture to one side of the skillet; place the prepared bread, butter-side-down, in the empty space (or use a second skillet). Cook bread 1–2 minutes until the exposed cheese starts to melt and the bread is golden underneath.
- Spoon half the hot mushroom-and-onion mixture over each cheese-topped slice. Season with a few grinds of black pepper. If you prefer a closed sandwich, top with the second bread slice and press gently; flip and cook 30–60 seconds per side until both sides are golden and cheese is fully melted. For open-faced, remove and serve immediately.
- Serve hot. Visual cues: cheese should be melted and glossy, bread golden-brown, mushrooms steaming and shiny from the sauce.