The fabulous flavor combo of sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms, along with fresh tomato and melted Muenster is all you need for a delicious vegetarian sandwich that won’t leave you missing the meat. Serve with Spicy Garlic Oven Fries or your favorite chips.

Pepper and Mushroom Pita Melt

Sauteed mushrooms, peppers and onions and melted muenster served in a warm pita pocket makes a quick, easy, meatless meal.

Author: Lynne Webb
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

2 (6-inch) pita loaves, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 large, sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
4 to 6 slices muenster, mozzarella or cheese of your choice
1 medium tomato, halved lengthwise and sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Tightly wrap the pita bread in foil and place in the oven until ready to serve.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until any liquid they give off has evaporated and they turn golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, transfer the mixture to a plate and set aside..
Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan along with the peppers. Sauté until the peppers are tender, 4 to 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper and add the balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking until the vineagar has evaporated, then return the onion-mushroom mixture to the pan.
Combine well and reduce the heat to low. Distribute the vegetables evenly over the bottom of the pan and cover first with a layer of tomato slices, then the cheese. Cover the pan and allow the cheese to melt slowly.
Remove the pita bread from the oven and fill each half with a portion of the veggie-cheese mixture. Serve with our Spicy Garlic Oven Fries or chips.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

To double this recipe, it’s best to use 2 separate pans to sauté the larger quantity of vegetables. It’s important not to overcrowd the pan so that everything browns properly and all liquid has evaporated.

Pepper and Mushroom Pita Melt