One of my favorite sandwich recipes here on HHL is my Vegan Philly Cheese that I posted back in 2012. Well since then, I have made that recipe a lot because my husband is pretty much obsessed with vegan Philly Cheese sandwiches. Seriously, we basically put “Philly Cheese Sandwich ingredients” on our must-have-items grocery list. I love this recipe because it is a go-to comfort food meal that makes dinnertime easy when I am stressed for time and creativity.

Today I share the recipe version that has become our household fave. It uses mushrooms. So I even have a gluten-free option for you!

Things are getting hot and melty, cheesy and delicious in here with my Vegan Mushroom Philly Cheese Sandwich, so let’s go!..

Watch me whip up the all-mushroom (no seitan) version of this recipe!.. (note: I used all portobellos but I actually prefer a mix of shiitakes and portos..)

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First things first. Chop chop.

This is the version with only mushrooms, no seitan – thus creating a gluten-free/grain-free/soy-free filling. (Many vegan cheeses are gluten-free and soy free! See my cheese guide here.)

All shrooms… (seitan free)

But back to the mushroom + seitan combo..

Once you make this recipe a few times you can be whipping Vegan Philly Cheeses out in under twenty minutes. Yup. Time-Saver! Add a giant side salad and dinner is done.

There is one major problemo with this recipe. Did you catch it? It was pretty silly of me to overlook this actually, but I was so swept up in the moment of Philly-Cheese-ing that I just went for it. The problem is that I loaded the gluten-free filling on a sourdough roll. So that really defeats the point of gluten-free.

So, if you can just imagine it on a gluten-free roll or bunor toasted slices, that would be great. Thanks.. 😉

Gluten-Free Variation: Simply omit the seitan in the recipe and use 100% mushrooms and gf bread or greens. I love shiitake mushrooms the best, but portobello mushrooms are fun too since the can get those silky thin slices, kinda like a “steak” version might have.

Lower-Calorie Version: I like to load on the cheese for an authentic, decadent vegan version. But you can absolutely either lower the cheese or just use healthy nutritional yeast for that cheezy flavor. Seriously, the nooch brings some serious CHEEZY game.

The Bread? My husband loves a sourdough hoagie-style roll. I actually scoop out some of the bread filling so that there is less white flour bread and more delicious filling. Other bread options include: baguette, pita bread, hamburger buns, hot dog buns, plain old sliced bread (thicker versions work better!), flatbread or even a large wrap for a Philly Cheese Wrap! Heck, I bet you could even use collard leaves for a healthy grain-free spin!

Vegan Mushroom Philly Cheese Sandwich

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 03/09/2016
These Philly Cheese sandwiches are meat and dairy free, but still super cheesy and satisfying! And packed with flavor!

Ingredients

2 rolls
2 large portobello mushrooms OR about 7-9 medium shiitake mushrooms (Or a mixture of mushrooms!) – slice into strips
1 bell pepper (I like red or green)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup seitan strips (unseasoned or pre-seasoned/marinated work — adjust spice/flavor/salt as needed)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2+ Tbsp nutritional yeast nutritional yeast
1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese (any variety that melts — see my vegan cheese guide here)
salt and pepper — or use 1-2 tsp tamari liquid to add savoriness to the mixture
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil for the pan
optional: 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced for a spicy kick
optional: 2-3 Tbsp vegan BBQ sauce

Instructions

Turn oven to 350 degrees, place rolls in the oven. Keep them in there until they are toasted and warm through the center.
Warm a skillet over high heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, add the onion, pepper and mushrooms. Saute until onions begin to caramelize and mushrooms and pepper have softened and start to brown on the edges as well.
Push the veggies over to one side and add the seitan to the pan. Saute for a few minutes, until it softens. Seitan is already cooked, so you just need to warm it and add some flavor.
When the seitan has softened, fold it into all the veggies. Add the paprika, nutritional yeast, optional jalapeño and salt and pepper to taste. (I usually add a 1/8 tsp salt OR 1 tsp tamari). You can also add optional flavor via BBQ sauce – simply fold the sauce into the mixture or marinate the seitan in the sauce ahead of time.
When the mixture looks amazing and caramelized and delicious, turn off the heat and gently fold in the cheese.
Grab your toasted roll and slice a slit down the side. I like to scoop out a bit of bready filling so I can add more of my skillet filling. Optional: add spicy mustard of vegan mayo to the bun.
Add the filling to the bread and close. You can either quickly slice and serve. OR go one step further and bake the sandwich for a few minutes to really lock in the flavors. To bake: Wrap the sandwich in parchment paper. Slice in half (easier for serving). Then wrap the sliced sandwich in foil. Place the foil in the 350 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes. Then serve warm. The flavors will marinate into the bread a bit and be extra amazing.
Final note: You can actually make these a day ahead of time, how awesome is that! Just be sure to use a hearty roll or bun so the bread does not get soggy. And as always – you can always add more or less vegan cheese to your preferences.

Yield: 2 sandwichesPrep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins. Total time: 35 mins. Tags: sandwich,vegan,philly cheese,cheese,entree,dinner,mushrooms,seitan,peppers,skillet,howto,veganized