My mom used to make Stuffed Hard Rolls, and boy, were they good! This beef, tomato soup, olive, and pepper concoction was stuffed in a hoagie type of roll and topped with a mound of cheese. Then it was wrapped in foil and baked, which heated it through, melted the cheese, and made the bread nice and crusty. I recently ran across this recipe at home, and my mouth watered instantly as I remembered that wonderful sandwich. Instead of tossing the recipe into the “not Paleo, never gonna make it” pile, I decided to try and make it work with healthier ingredients. The result was incredible: all that great salty flavor I remember without the dairy or gluten. Here’s to Mom!
FILLING INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 pound (454 g) Italian sausage (or ½ pound ground beef and ½ pound sausage)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
½ cup sliced, stuffed green olives
6-7 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup tomato sauce
1 TBSP (15 ml) tomato paste
2 tsp (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
FOR SERVING DAY
6 large portobello mushrooms
Makes 6 mushrooms
Prep Day:
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned and cooked through.
Add the bell pepper, stir, and cook for 2 minutes more.
Add the green olives, green onions, garlic, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat, and let the filling cool for 15 minutes.
Place the cooked filling in an airtight container, and freeze it until needed.
Serving Day:
Thaw the filling in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Gently wipe away any dirt from the mushrooms with a damp towel. Gently remove the stems and gills with a spoon. Discard or save them for use in another dish, such as soup.
Spoon the filling into each mushroom cap, packing it firmly with the spoon.
Place the mushrooms in a glass baking dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and the top of the filling is browned.
Serve with additional sliced green olives or a few chopped green onions on top.
More Recipes You'll Love
Sausage stuffed portobellos are a hearty dinner that happens to be completely grain-free. Big mushroom caps get filled with a savoury mix of browned Italian sausage, green pepper, green olives, and green onions in a tomatoey sauce, then roasted until bubbling.
Pro Tips
- Scoop out the mushroom stems and gills with a spoon before filling — it creates a proper bowl and keeps the caps from going watery in the oven.
- Wipe the portobello caps with a damp towel rather than rinsing them; mushrooms act like sponges and soaking makes them steam instead of roast.
- The chopped stuffed green olives are the secret weapon here — their brininess cuts through the rich sausage and keeps the filling from tasting heavy.
- Simmer the filling a full 5 minutes so the tomato sauce and paste concentrate, and let it cool 15 minutes before stuffing the caps.
- These freeze beautifully as a filling on its own: thaw overnight, stuff fresh caps, and roast at 400°F (205°C) for a quick dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ground beef instead of sausage?
Yes, the recipe suggests half a pound of ground beef with half a pound of sausage if you want a lighter filling. Season the beef well since it lacks the sausage's built-in spice.
Are stuffed portobellos paleo?
They are: portobello caps filled with sausage, peppers, olives, green onions, and a tomato sauce — no breadcrumbs, cheese, or grains involved.
How do I know when the mushrooms are done?
After roasting at 400°F (205°C), the caps should be tender and slightly collapsed at the edges, with the filling hot through and lightly caramelised on top.
Can I prepare these ahead of time?
Make the filling up to 2 days ahead (or freeze it), then stuff and roast the caps fresh. Assembled but unbaked stuffed mushrooms also keep overnight in the fridge.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil.
- Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned and cooked through.
- Add the bell pepper, stir, and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add the green olives, green onions, garlic, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, and pepper.
- Stir to combine, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, and let the filling cool for 15 minutes.
- Place the cooked filling in an airtight container, and freeze it until needed.
- Thaw the filling in the refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 400°F. Gently wipe away any dirt from the mushrooms with a damp towel. Gently remove the stems and gills with a spoon.
- Discard or save them for use in another dish, such as soup. Spoon the filling into each mushroom cap, packing it firmly with the spoon.
- Place the mushrooms in a glass baking dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and the top of the filling is browned.
- Serve with additional sliced green olives or a few chopped green onions on top.
