As barbeque season approaches, your craving for a good burger may kick into high gear. Opting for a vegetable based burger, such as the delicious portabella mushroom burger is a great option for anyone, but especially those with diabetes. Research has shown that diets rich in high fat animal proteins may make it harder to control blood sugar levels. Swapping the red meat for a portabella mushroom not only cuts out the fat and lowers the calories, but some research suggests mushroom-based meals may be equally as filling as meat based options. By using a Flatout Foldit in replacement of a standard hamburger bun, you can increase both the whole grain and fiber content of the recipe, helping you to feel even more satisfied after your meal with less of an impact on blood sugar levels.

Back in the 80s, portabella mushrooms, mushrooms of all kinds, really, were all the rage. (At least that’s what someone told me!) But what could beat a portabella cap as a meatless burger at a barbecue or campout? High in vitamin D, mushrooms pack a serious nutritional punch.

The portabella mushroom is really just a more mature Crimini mushroom, marketed and named in the 1980s to sell mushrooms that had simply grown too big. It worked, because you can still find portabella caps in just about every grocery store, begging to be marinated, stuffed, roasted, stir fried, and made into your next meatless meal.

Tip: mushrooms of all kinds keep much better in the refrigerator if you store them in a paper bag. It keeps them nice and dry, which is how you want them when you cook with them. Keeping them in a plastic bag will make them slimy after a day or two, so paper is best.

In this flatbread recipe, I am simply treating the mushroom cap like a giant hamburger patty with Fontina cheese, tomatoes and pickles. It needs some moisture, though, and so the Balsamic marinade (if we’re going 80s, we’re going all the way!) soaks in and flavors the mushroom when it’s cooked.

Buy the freshest, firmest portabella caps you can find, about 6” in diameter, because they’ll shrink when they’re cooked and will fit inside the flatbread nicely. One bite and you’ll never miss a regular burger.

-Amy at Flatout