Cheesy Beef Stuffed French Bread (2024)

Looking for a simple, easy weeknight or Saturday afternoon sandwich? Then wait! Stop! Don’t leave without checking this one out! 😉 This classic midwest beef filling is AMAZINGLY delicious, and uses simple, easy pantry items that you probably already have! These super cheesy Beef Stuffed French Bread Sandwiches are one of favorites that I’ve been enjoying since childhood! And I’m sure this will become a new favorite and regular at your house, too! I promise!

I’m not sure where the original recipe came from, most likely it was a promotional recipe on the back of a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup! There are other similar concoctions that I’ll be sharing soon, but this one suited us perfectly over the weekend!

You simply start with a pound of browned hamburger that has been cooked with onions, celery and garlic, and drained of the melted fat.

Next, you just stir in your undiluted soup, my extra seasonings, and a little milk. Hollow out a loaf of french bread, and tear up the chunks into small pieces into a bowl. Stir in your meat mixture and pile into the bread!

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Lastly, you pile on the glorious, oh glorious cheese! You can use sharp cheddar, white cheddar, swiss, provolone, mozzarella, havarti, pepper jack, or even Velveeta! This time, though, I went for the Mexican blend cheese!

If you like a nice crunchy outside, then just place this straight onto a baking sheet, lined with foil if you’d like. If you prefer it a bit softer with a mild crunch, then loosely wrap the bread with foil. For a softer bread, wrap the loaf with foil to seal. The steam inside will keep the bread softer.

Then, just slice on the bias and serve! We enjoyed this twice each, since it’s just the two of us, with some spicy, oven-roasted potato wedges one day (pictured in photo), and a brand new potato salad the next! *Both delicious recipes coming soon!

What a wonderful lunch and a nice trip down Memory Lane!

These sandwiches are sure to be a big hit with your family, or your next get together! You can slice these into 2″ wide appetizer-sized finger sandwiches, too, party-style!

Ingredients

1 loaf french bread, 1 lb., or a little less is fine (mine weighed 14.8 oz.)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 of a regular-sized onion, chopped small
1 rib celery, thinly sliced or chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped or run through a garlic press
1/2 Tbl. chopped celery leaves
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 Tbl. milk
1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. celery salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 tsp. Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning
1 (8 oz.) bag (2 cups) shredded Mexican Blend or cheddar cheese, [i]*divided[/i]

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Slice the french bread in half, lengthwise, making two equal pieces. Scoop out the bread in the center of each piece leaving a 1" shell. Place bread in a large bowl and tear into small chunks. Place the two halves of french bread onto a large baking sheet lined with a large sheet of foil if desired. *See note. Set aside.

Brown the ground beef, onion, and celery in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain any grease. Add the garlic and celery leaves to skillet. Sauté 2 minutes longer.

Add soup, milk and Worcestershire sauce. Season with the celery salt, pepper and cajun seasoning. Stir and cook until mixture is heated through, about another 3 - 4 minutes. Fold in 1/2 cup of the cheese.

Add the beef mixture to the bread in the large bowl. Stir and fold well to combine. Pour mixture into the center of the bottom half of the french bread. Spread out evenly. Top the mixture with the rest of the shredded cheese piling it on. Place top half of bread on top.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted. If completely wrapping with foil, this may take 25-30 minutes depending on your oven.

Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serve hot with oven-roasted potato wedges if desired.

Slice into 2" pieces for appetizers.

Notes

*If you like your bread crispy on the outside, you can place the filled bread straight onto a baking sheet without any foil at all.
If you like it lightly crispy, place onto foil and gather up around bread loosely closing.
If you want your bread softer on the outside, seal foil closed around bread.

Make it how you like it and enjoy!