Description
This Stuffed French Bread recipe features a deliciously savory ground beef mixture blended with celery, garlic, and cream of celery soup, all nestled inside a hollowed-out French bread loaf and topped with melted cheddar cheese. Baked to perfection, it makes a comforting and hearty meal perfect for family dinners or casual gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
French Bread
- 1 loaf French bread
Beef Mixture
- 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 pepper
Toppings
- 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 stuffed bread later.
- Cook Beef Mixture: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and dried minced onion. Once browned, drain off any excess grease. Add the chopped celery and minced garlic to the skillet and cook for a few minutes until the celery softens. Then stir in the cream of celery soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes until the mixture is heated through.
- Prepare Bread: While the beef mixture cooks, slice the French bread loaf lengthwise into two equal halves. Using your hands or a spoon, scoop out the soft bread from the center of each half and tear it into small pieces.
- Combine Bread and Beef Mixture: Add the torn bread pieces into the skillet with the beef mixture and stir well to combine evenly.
- Assemble Stuffed Bread: Place the two bread halves on a large baking sheet. Pour the warm beef and bread mixture evenly inside one half of the French bread. Spread it out to cover the entire surface. Top this with the freshly grated cheddar cheese. Place the second half of the bread loaf on top to cover the filling.
- Bake: Bake the assembled stuffed French bread in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheddar cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Remove from the oven and let the stuffed bread stand for 5 minutes to settle before slicing. Optionally, sprinkle with chopped parsley for garnish. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Any cream soup variety (cream of mushroom or chicken) can be substituted for cream of celery based on preference or availability.
- For extra flavor, add a pinch of smoked paprika or chili flakes to the beef mixture.
- To make it vegetarian, swap the ground beef with cooked lentils or a plant-based meat substitute.
- Leftover stuffed bread can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated in the oven for best texture.
