Favorite Ingredients Friday for September 21

For Favorite Ingredients Friday this week, since the theme is Sandwiches, I decided to share an old favorite of ours. This is from one of the very first issues of Quick Cooking magazine, and we enjoy this sandwich very much. The recipe originally called for a can of cheddar cheese soup, but I’ve modified it to use my homemade substitute. You can find the recipes for those here on my blog; just do a search for cream soup substitutes. (If you prefer to use the canned soup, just eliminate the flour, dry mustard, milk, and cheddar cheese, and use the soup instead.)

BEEF-STUFFED ITALIAN BREAD

1 loaf unsliced Italian bread
1 pound ground beef
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 slices American cheese, cut in half diagonally

Slice off top of bread. Carefully hollow out bottom of loaf, leaving a 1/2-inch bread shell. Cut or tear the removed bread into small pieces; set aside.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef with the green pepper and celery; cook until beef is fully cooked and brown and vegetables are tender. Drain off all but 1 Tblsp. of the fat. Stir in the flour, dry mustard; salt and pepper; cook until bubbly. Stir in the milk gradually; cook and stir until mixture is smooth and thickened. Stir in the cheddar cheese and Worcestershire sauce until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Stir in the reserved bread pieces. Spread mixture into the bread shell.

Place stuffed bread on a foil-lined baking sheet. Top the beef mixture with the triangles of American cheese, then replace the bread top.

Bake at 350º for 6 to 8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Yield: 4 servings