Cheesy Mushroom Sliders

Add this to your Super Bowl spread for a bit of variety. Not much can go wrong here except you might run out! Amazingly simple with few ingredients. Add Italian Hot Sausage bits for the meat lovers.

Recipe

Preheat broiler Hi heat for a minute or two

Loaf of ciabatta bread about 12 inch by 5 inch-slice in half lengthwise leaving you with two thin 12 inch by 5 inch pieces.

Extra virgin olive oil-2-3 tablespoons
Butter-2 to 4 tablespoons
1 Pound Baby Bella mushrooms-cleaned and sliced
Small yellow onion-either sliced for caramelized onion rings or chopped to cook with mushrooms
2-3 Cloves garlic-minced
Garlic salt
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (optional but not to be used with Italian sausage option)
4-6 Ounces Italian bulk sausage-hot & pasta sauce for drizzle (optional)
8 Ounces sliced Provolone cheese

In a large skillet brown slightly over medium heat mushrooms in 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil. Spread the mushrooms evenly while cooking. If cooking chopped onion (instead of caramelizing) with mushrooms add the onion when mushrooms are partially golden. If cooking caramelized rings of  onions do this separately in a skillet over low medium heat in 2 T butter. The caramelization takes about 20 minutes.

When mushrooms are at the end of cooking add the garlic and garlic salt. Give a couple of stirs.

If not opting in for the Italian sausage addition add the Worcestershire sauce to the mushrooms now. Stir. It’s done and ready to pile on your ciabatta.

*If you are adding the Italian sausage cook the bulk sausage in a separate skillet over medium heat breaking it up with your spoon into small bits. When done drain.

In your broiler place the sliced in half and olive oil drizzled ciabatta loaf until toasted lightly. Remove.

Pile your mushrooms on the bottom half of the toasted ciabatta loaf. If you caramelized the onions separately add to the top of the mushrooms. Layer the cheese over all. Place this bottom half (retain top half) back into the broiler until cheese melts and browns slightly.

If you are adding the cooked sausage do this before adding caramelized onions (if you caramelized). Drizzle with your pasta sauce (This is also optional.). Then cover with the cheese. Broil as above.

Remove from broiler add the reserved top slice of ciabatta and let cool slightly. Then slice into small sliders and secure with toothpick or small screwer.