Dinner While Driving

More often than I would like, Bart and I wind up driving somewhere during the dinner hour.  Getting a proper meal on the table before we leave usually isn’t an option, so I have built up a list of dishes we can take with us and eat on the road.

The criteria are pretty rigid:

Nothing messy

Nothing runny

Nothing that requires a knife

Nothing that only tastes good hot

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Egg Salad on a Bun are typical choices, but I want to introduce you to the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich.  A large grilled Portobello Mushroom fits nicely in a bun or chunk of sliced French bread.  It’s a filling but not too messy meal to chow down in the car. 

Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches – makes 3 sandwiches  

3 large (about 4 inches in diameter) Portobello mushrooms 

4 teaspoons olive or canola oil (divided use) 

1 cup fresh bread crumbs 

1 teaspoon chopped garlic 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

3/4 cup grated cheddar, mozzarella or other hard cheese you may have 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat and set aside.  

Briefly rinse the top surface of the mushrooms but don’t let any water get onto the underside.  Turn the mushrooms over and gently pull off the stems and olace on a cutting board.  The oil keeps the mushroom from sticking. 

Chop the stems into 1/4-inch pieces and put in a bowl.  Add the bread crumbs, garlic, salt, black pepper and grated cheese and gently mix together.  Fill the cavity of each mushroom with 1/3 of the breadcrumb mixture.  Then drizzle 1 teaspoon oil over each stuffed mushroom. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened and the breadcrumbs have browned.  Serve immediately on buns.  

NOTE: If you have some leftover cooked meat or chicken and want to make the filling heartier, shred about 1/2 cup of it and add it to the breadcrumb mixture before stuffing the mushrooms.

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