mushroom paninis

i love love love mushrooms. and garlic. and cheese. put them all into a sandwich and i'm yours.

i'll be honest, i thought this one was going to be a flop. "there's no way the mushrooms are going to stay in the sandwich. they're all going to ooze out the side" was the thought i had as i pressed down on the top of my george foreman grill to grill these suckers. but it worked. there were a few strays that got pushed out and i ate with a fork. i was really careful to make a mound of mushrooms in the middle of my sandwich before i pressed it and that may have been enough to keep it together. regardless, it was an easy, delicious dinner. i bet it'd be really great with whole portabello caps too.

mushroom paninis
30 minutes start to finish, serves 2

olive oil
12 ounces white mushrooms (or whatever kind you prefer), chopped into bite size pieces
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon butter
garlic basil mayo (or regular mayo, if you prefer, but the garlic really makes it)
~4 ounces provolone cheese, sliced (4 slices of cheese, total)
2 hard rolls, split

1. coat the bottom of a saute pan over medium heat with olive oil. add the mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes. add the garlic, season with salt & pepper, and cook until the mushrooms are soft, about 8 more minutes. when you add the garlic, preheat your panini press or george foreman grill, so it will be hot when the mushrooms are ready.
2. spread each roll with garlic basil mayo and place a slice of cheese on each side. add the cooked mushrooms.
3. using a pastry brush, brush the bottom of the roll with olive oil and place in your press/grill. brush the top of the roll with olive oil and close the press/grill. grill about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melty.