#1,517: Stuffed French Bread

I was a little nervous about this recipe, but my family LOVED it.  It was SOOOOO simple to make and I got it on the table in a little under 30 minutes.  Love quick meals.  This would also be a great thing to partially make ahead of time (the meat mixture/filling anyways) and then just warm up the meat, place in the bread and bake when ready to eat/come home from work.  This is definitely going on the make again list!

1 loaf French bread

1 pound lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)

2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery (I omitted)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used light cream of celery)

2 Tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 Tablespoon chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350° F. Slice the French bread in half, lengthwise, so you have two equal pieces. Scoop out the bread in the center of each piece. Place bread in a large bowl and tear into small chunks. Set the two halves of French bread onto a large baking sheet. Set aside.

Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Drain any grease. Add the celery and garlic to skillet. Cook a few minutes until celery is tender. Next, add soup, milk and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook mixture until heated; another 5 minutes or so.

Add the beef mixture to the bread in the large bowl. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into the center of one half of the French bread. Spread out evenly. Top the mixture with the shredded cheese. Top with the other half of bread.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving.