Description
This Stuffed French Bread recipe combines savory ground beef, celery, and creamy soup filling, all baked inside a crusty French bread loaf topped with melted cheddar cheese. Perfect for a hearty appetizer or a satisfying meal, this dish is easy to prepare in about 30 minutes and serves six people.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion (or freshly diced white onion)
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 can (10 ounces) cream of celery soup (or cream of mushroom or chicken soup)
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 Tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350° F to prepare for baking the assembled stuffed bread.
- Cook Ground Beef Mixture: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and minced onion until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Add chopped celery and minced garlic to the skillet and cook until the celery becomes tender, about a few minutes. Then stir in the cream of celery soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until the mixture is heated through, approximately 5 minutes.
- Prepare the Bread: While the beef mixture cooks, slice the loaf of French bread lengthwise into two equal halves. Carefully scoop out the soft bread from the center of each half and tear it into small pieces. Add these bread pieces into the beef mixture in the skillet and stir well to combine.
- Assemble Stuffed Bread: Place the two halves of French bread on a large baking sheet. Spoon the warm beef and bread mixture evenly into the hollowed-out center of one half. Spread it out evenly, then sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese on top. Place the other bread half on top to close the sandwich.
- Bake and Serve: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted thoroughly. Remove from the oven and let the stuffed French bread stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired, then slice and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute the cream of celery soup with cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup depending on your preference.
- For extra flavor, use freshly diced white onion instead of dried minced onion.
- To add a little spice, consider adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to the beef mixture.
- This recipe is great for parties and can be sliced into small pieces as finger food.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in the oven to maintain the crustiness of the bread.
