Recipe Beginnings and Family History
This stuffed french bread recipe began as a recipe received by me from Grams (my Grandma Webb) in 1998. She was a great home cook. She hand-wrote a recipe book for me on index cards in a photo book and gave it to me for Christmas in 1998 while I was in high school. What a treasure that recipe book has been for me all these years! To see her handwriting each time I make a recipe from her brings me a lot of joy. Grams instilled a love of cooking and baking in me that has only grown with each passing year. I feel so grateful to have this recipe book made by her just for me. She passed away a few years after she gave the recipe book to me. How grateful I am that she was able to make this book for me before her passing.
Over the years I’ve modified this recipe, omitting the cheddar cheese soup and replacing it with an old-school flour/milk/cheese combination. I’ve also added beef bouillon and more Worcestershire sauce for added flavor. My sister Annie told me that she wraps the loaf in foil before baking, so I’ve started doing that as well!
Audrey, I’m so happy that you asked me for this recipe because that means it has become a 4-generation recipe! I hope you and your friends and future family will enjoy it for years to come!
What Makes this Recipe Great?
This recipe is a great one for a few reasons. First and most importantly, hamburger-stuffed french bread is delicious! The Worcestershire sauce adds a zing to it that goes perfectly with the ground beef and vegetables. Add cheese to almost anything and it’s a home run! Second, it includes vegetables that add texture and nutrition. And third, the recipe is quite easy to make and it results in an impressive dinner that looks as good as it tastes!
Nutrition
Stuffed French Bread has a lot of nutrition going on! From the bread, we get a serving of grains (whole wheat bread is even more nutritious than white bread). With ground beef, we get essential B vitamins and a protein serving. The onion, celery, and green peppers add essential nutrients needed to maintain health and they may help prevent disease. Add a green salad or green beans on the side and you’re doing great! Cheese gives us some dairy which helps build and maintain strong bones! That’s really important for women!
Cold Weather
This meal is great anytime, but it’s especially comforting and delicious in cold weather. I like to eat this when I am in the mood for a cozy night at home. Also consider doubling it and making two loaves at once. It freezes well. It can be stored by the slice in freezer bags and then used for an easy meal after a long day of classes. Just defrost it in the microwave, or cover it in foil and warm it in a 350-degree oven until it’s warm throughout. Love you!
Hamburger Stuffed French Bread
Ingredients
- 1 loaf french bread
- 1 pound ground beef See notes about leanness of beef
- 1 onion diced
- 3 ribs celery sliced to about ½ centimeter
- 1 green pepper diced
- ½ teaspoon table salt more if desired
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- ¼-½ cup milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 3-6 slices cheddar cheese to top depending on width of cheese block
- olive oil optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Cut the top off of the bread by slicing a long, narrow oblong shape from the top surface. Hollow out the bread loaf forming a crust shell. Tear bread into small pieces and set aside.
- Brown the beef and vegetables together with the seasonings. Simmer until heated through.
- Sprinkle the flour over the beef, and stir to absorb. Add the milk. Mix in the bread pieces and allow the bread to absorb the milk. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the beef mixture and allow the cheese to melt while stirring to incorporate.
- Fill the shell with the beef mixture. Top with slices (or triangles) of cheddar cheese. Replace the top of the bread. Wrap in foil and bake on a baking sheet for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese slices begin to bubble. Slice to serve. May be served with a green salad, corn, or green beans on the side.