Rustic Olive party sandwich

Our operations manager, Paul Johnson, came up with a novel and tasty way to use a loaf of the olive bread we bake on Saturdays....

1 Rustic Olive loaf
8 oz. ground meat
1 small can or 4 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup Napa Valley Roasted Tomato Balsamic Condiment (available at Grapevine Cottage)
2 Tbs. sun-dried tomato strips, olives, or other goodies
6 oz. shredded Mozzarella

Preheat oven to 360°F, or turn on your gas grill to medium heat.

Brown the meat in a skillet, seasoning to taste with a little salt and pepper. I used ground beef, but turkey, Italian sausage, or a combination would work. No tofu!

Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes.

Moisten with the tomato stuff (or use whatever marinara-type sauce you have handy) and heat until some of the liquid reduces and the mixture "tightens up" a little. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cut off about an inch of bread from each end of the loaf and then biversect it, separating the top from the bottom. Sprinkle about one-third of the cheese on the bottom of the loaf and the rest on the cut side (inside) of the top. Put the meat mixture on the bottom half and spread it around. Carefully – or not, if you like sweeping up cheese – turn the top over onto the bottom.

Wrap the loaf in heavy-duty foil and bake for 20 minutes in the oven, or just throw it on the grill and close the lid.

Unwrap the loaf and start figuring out how to slice and serve. Enjoy!