Mushroom & Provolone Bison Patty Melts

My new issue of Cooking Light magazine just arrived, and this recipe jumped out at me. Originally, it calls for ground sirloin; but I thought the swap of lean, more sustainable, bison meat would be a good choice. It turns out I was right...the bison was delicious! If you haven't tried bison, I would highly recommend it. It just tastes like really high-quality ground beef, and is much more healthful. Trust me, it is really great. These patty melts were a hit with the whole family, and my husband especially loved them. Many thanks Cooking Light for another awesome dinner!

Mushroom & Provolone Bison Patty Melts
Adapted From: Cooking Light magazine, Oct. 2010 issue

Ingredients:
1 pound ground bison
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (8-ounce) package sliced cremini mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup beef broth
8 (1.1-ounce) slices of whole wheat bread
4 (3/4-ounce) slices of reduced-fat provolone cheese

Directions:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Shape bison into 4 (4-inch) patties. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.

2. Heat oil in a separate medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, pepper, and mushrooms; sauté 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beef broth; cook 30 seconds or until thick. Remove from heat; keep warm.

3. When patties are done, remove from large skillet. Wipe pan clean; heat over medium-high heat. Coat 1 side of each bread slice with cooking spray. Place 4 bread slices, coated sides down, in pan. Top each with 1 patty, 1 cheese slice, and one-fourth of mushroom mixture. Top with remaining bread slices; coat with cooking spray. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned.



The Result:
These sandwiches were so mouth-watering, savory, and satisfying. Seriously, good eats!!! The directions yielded perfectly cooked, medium-rare burgers with a nice brown crust on the top. Yum! I tinkered with the original recipe a bit to suit what we had on hand (i.e. wheat bread, bison, beef broth, etc.), and the end result was really great. A side dish of glazed carrots completed our meal and complimented our patty melts. This recipe is a family-pleasing keeper!