A Thirty Minute Meal: Cheesy French Mushroom Baguette

This is a recipe that I have made several times over the last few years. I got the idea from Rachael Ray, it's pretty similar to the original, but I sort of just throw stuff in according to what I have on hand. You can check out the original recipe here. Not only is it totally delicious, but it can also be thrown together in 30 minutes, a plus, especially around the holidays. It's a sort of a sophisticated pizza-ish meal, that is a lot healthier.

* A word on the amount of cheese in this recipe. I realize 3 cups sounds like an awful lot of cheese, and if you wanted, you could cut it down. But honestly, if this is your main meal, and you DO get 8 servings out of this, I don't think there is any reason for panic here. Yes cheese is fatty, but let's not forget that some fat does make us feel more satisfied more quickly, and literally makes us happy. Do you know that a diet that is too low in fat can be linked to depression? That would explain why I turn into a total nut-job whenever I've gone on Weight Watchers... Also, this is a vegetarian meal, and so this cheese is also an important source of protein. Moderation is key. EAT THE CHEESE, PEOPLE!

I think this recipe is VERY Mediterranean. Just have a small piece, a salad and a glass of wine, and you will be totally satisfied.

SERVINGS:  4-8 servings 

(depending how many men are around....)

INGREDIENTS:

2 packs of white button mushrooms, sliced (or a mix of whatever is good - price is a factor !)
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves crushed garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 sprig fresh if you have it)
s & p
1/2 cup white or red wine (both work well, but I only ever have red in the house)
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 baguette
3 cups sharp cheese (I like cheddar, but any strong cheese will do)

Optional:
2 onions, caramelized, to go on top of the mushroom mixture (that takes some time...)
a few handfuls of chopped spinach, to be added to the mushrooms with the wine

PROCESS:

If you are caramelizing the onions, go ahead and do that before anything else, because it takes quite some time. Cook on medium low with some olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper for at least 20 minutes or so. This was the first time I added that step in, and I'd say it's worth the extra effort.

Chop up all of your mushrooms, and heat up a big pan on medium to medium-high. Eyeball about 3 or so tablespoons of olive oil. Dump in your mushrooms, and stir in the bay leaf, thyme, s & p. Let the mushrooms cook until they've released their liquid. Add in the wine. I had some leftover spinach to use up, so I figured why not bump up the nutrition as much as possible. Leave it cook for just a couple of minutes.

While this is cooking away, half the baguette length-wise, and pull out some of the insides, creating a concave shape for more mushroom-y goodness.

Pile the mushrooms onto the open baguettes (get them on a cookie sheet before, to avoid a transportation disaster). If you have the caramelized onions, spread them on top of the mushrooms. Pile on the cheese, and stick these puppies under the broiler.

And there you have it folks. A marriage of mushrooms and cheese into a melty, flavour explosion... It is totally decadent.

Have a great day!