I used to be TERRIFIED of high-calorie, high-fat foods, especially carbs and cheese.

I thought I had to give them up forever to maintain my weight.

It SUCKED, and seeing photos of melty, gooey deliciousness usually made me wanna cry.

You too?



Discovering the non-diet weight loss system I use now was like lifting a heavy cement veil.

I realized that by following a few guidelines, I could eat whatever I want and lose as much weight as I want (and maintain it).

Get started on this path today by grabbing my free 5-Step System To Ditch Bloating Without Giving Up Your Favorite Foods. Sign up on this page.

Today, we’re celebrating that we CAN eat grilled cheese sandwiches (and no, not just once a year or once a month – often) and still lose weight, with my new recipe, the Mushroom “Bacon” Melt.



I tell people I teach women how to lose weight without dieting or giving up their favorite foods and they look at me like I have seven heads…until they experience it.

This is not a drill people.

This is real.

I don’t post potentially-torturous photos of French fries and lobster rolls (yesterday on Instagram – follow me @lulaibrown!) and then secretly eat raw kale all day.

You can eat what you want and still lose all the weight you want.

Ok, back to the Mushroom “Bacon” Melt (I love regular bacon too, BTW).

Get the recipe below and leave a comment with your questions and kale accusations – I’m here for you and I love ya.

XO,
Lula

Mushroom “Bacon” Melt

Ingredients
Serves 2

4 slices high-quality sourdough bread, or bread of your choice
3-6 slices high-quality Gruyere cheese
4-5 cups organic shiitake mushrooms (measure uncooked)
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter (I like Kerrygold)
1 bunch basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil
High smoke point oil, such as safflower
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Method

Drizzle safflower oil liberally into large pan and bring to super high heat.

While that’s happening, rinse, pat dry, and slice mushrooms into thin strips. Add to pan. Stir once and allow to sit for 5-7 minutes in the hot pan. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Mushrooms can handle super high heat and won’t burn.

We’re making bacon here. Out of mushrooms.

Continue to cook mushrooms, stirring every few minutes until they’re very browned and crispy. Set aside. This can take up to 15 minutes, depending on how hot your pan is.

In another pan, bring butter to medium heat.

Butter the insides of your bread and place cheese and mushrooms inside.

Create sandwiches and place in buttered pan with a smaller lid or another pot on top to press them down.

A panini press also works great here, just make sure you butter both sides of the bread since butter quickly runs down a press.

Reduce heat to low-medium to make sure your grilled cheeses melt before they burn, and flip after 5 minutes.

Cook on other side for additional five minutes and serve with your favorite pesto.

As your sandwiches are cooking, rinse and pat dry basil and throw it in the food processor.

Add garlic and toasted pine nuts and pulse, drizzling in olive oil until you form pesto. Add salt and pepper. Serve with sandwiches for dipping.

Photo: Brad Ogbonna