Portabello Bowls With a Warm Spinach Potato Salad

Submitted by SarasotaCook

"Want a nice twist as a side dish? This is a bit healthier, but still very satisfying. It takes my favorites from a spinach salad; spinach, warm bacon dressing, mushrooms, onions, and add some diced potatoes to make it more of a warm potato salad. All stuffed inside a portabello. I enjoy to serve this dish with pork tenderloin or some roast chicken."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 20
• Yields: 6-8 Whole Mushrooms
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• Mushrooms

• 6 -8 portabello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
• 8 tablespoons olive oil (more or less, spending on the size of your portabellos)
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• salt
• pepper

• Potato Salad

• 3 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
• 3 cups Baby Spinach (1 - 7 oz bag, will be a close amount)
• 6 slices bacon, diced and satueed (don't forget to save the drippings for the dressing)
• 1⁄4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (I always use flat leaf, but that is a personal preference)

• Bacon Dressing

• bacon drippings (don't forget to reserve the bacon for the salad)
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1⁄2 medium red onion, diced (about 1/2-2/3 cup)
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• salt
• pepper

directions

1. IMPORTANT TIP: You can easily make the dressing ahead, store it in a small tupperware, ziplock container and just reheat in the microwave a few seconds before serving. Saves time.
2. Bacon -- Use a small saute pan, (non-stick works good for this), add the diced bacon and cook on medium high heat until the bacon begins to render and gets brown and crispy. Remove the bacon to a small plate lined with a paper towel to drain. But keep those drippings.
3. Salad Dressing -- Add the olive oil and onion to the drippings and saute for about 4-5 minute until tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Just set to the side on the back burner. You can reheat it for just a minute before you make the salad. It's done and out of the way.
4. Mushrooms -- First thing I do is mix the olive oil, garlic, onion powder, basil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and brush on both the inside and outside of the mushrooms. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper cut side down, and heat the oven to 350. Cook on the middle rack for approximately 20 minutes. I like to flip them over once as they cook. If they are done before your salad is, just turn the oven off or turn it down to 200 or 225 and they can stay warm for a few minutes as you finish up the salad.
5. Potatoes -- As the mushrooms cook, bring a pot of salted water up to a medium boil and add your potatoes. They will take about 15 minutes. This is for a potato salad, NOT mashed potatoes, so you don't want them falling apart. Once done, drain well and put back in the pan, and return to the stove with the burner off. This will dry the potatoes so you don't have a wet potato salad.
6. Salad -- Note: if you want. you can cut them up a bit, but once you toss with the dressing and spinach they will break up a little on their own on their own. Now to the pot with the potatoes, add the bacon, parsley, basil and warm/hot dressing and toss lightly. You don't want to break up the potatoes. Toss in the spinach and toss lightly once more. Ready to stuff the mushrooms.
7. Mushrooms -- Stuff the mushroom with a great warm potato salad and ENJOY!