Stuffed French Bread Sandwiches

Packed with savory ground meat, beans, melty cheese, and fresh veggies, these Stuffed French Bread Sandwiches make an easy, family-pleasing meal that won't break the bank!

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love this Sandwich Recipe
• Ingredients
• How to Make this Recipe
• Stuffed Sandwich Variations
• Storage
• Top Tip
• More Hot Sandwich Recipes
• What to Serve with French Bread Sandwiches
• Stuffed French Bread Sandwiches

Why You Will Love this Sandwich Recipe

Stuffed French bread sandwiches have been one of my go-to dinners for decades. They are easy, delicious, and a great option when you hit that "what's for dinner?" wall. All you need to do is pick up a loaf of French bread and a pound of ground meat on your way home, and you're halfway there.

• Quick and easy: Stuffed French bread sandwiches require minimal effort, making them ideal for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.
• Extremely versatile: We've included four different flavor options on the recipe card - Cowboy, Italian, Tex-Mex, and Greek - but once you get the idea, you're sure to come up with your own flavor mashups!
• Budget-friendly: Made with a simple loaf of bread, a pound of ground meat, and a handful of kitchen staples, these sandwiches are a great wallet-friendly option for families on a budget.
• Family go-to: Easy, customizable combinations make these Stuffed French Bread Sandwiches will make everyone at the table happy, and are sure to earn a regular spot in your family's menu rotation.

Ingredients

• French bread: Use a large french bread loaf, or 4-5 crusty french rolls.
• Butter: We use salted butter, but unsalted butter works just as well.
• Garlic: Use fresh garlic.
• Ground meat: Lean ground beef, chicken, turkey, or vegetarian meat crumbles will all work fine for this recipe.
• Flavoring sauce: Tomato paste, marinara sauce, bbq sauce, and pizza sauce are all good options. (We've also used balsamic salad dressing, and even balsamic glaze.)
• Grated cheese: Use any melty aged cheese (i.e., cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey jack, Oaxaca, etc.)
• Cooked beans: Use fully cooked beans (red, pinto, black, cannelloni, navy, etc.), rinsed and drained.
• Seasonings: These can include Italian seasoning, Greek seasoning, taco seasoning, pizza seasoning, basil, and oregano. (See recipe card below for specific seasonings for each variation.)
• Veggies: Veggies like tomatoes, onions, arugula, spinach, jalapeños, cucumbers, basil, and cilantro are added after baking to give the sandwiches a fresh component. (Caramelized onions are also a delicious addition!)
• Sweet onion
• Soy sauce
• Dried basil
• Kosher salt
• Ground pepper
• Sour cream: This acts as a binder for the beans. You can also use plain yogurt.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make this Recipe

The process images that follow illustrate how to make the Cowboy version of this recipe; however, the process is the same for all variations.

Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃).

Cut off the top third of the French bread loaf. Hollow out the inside of both sides, leaving at least a half inch of bread all around. (Save the extra bread for bread crumbs.)

In a small skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from heat and add the minced garlic.

Use a pastry brush to brush the inside of the hollowed loaf with the melted garlic butter.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef together with three-quarters of the chopped onions.

Drain fat off in a colander (do not rinse) and return to the skillet.

Stir in flavoring sauce, three-quarters of the seasonings, salt, and pepper. Heat through. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine beans, sour cream, remaining seasonings, and remaining chopped onion.

TIP: Keep in mind that a lot of the flavor in your sandwich will come from the sauce you choose. Also, don’t forget to taste the cooked meat mixture before assembling the sandwiches. If it needs more seasoning, go ahead and adjust it!

Sprinkle half the cheese into the bottom of the hollow bread loaf. (B) Spoon the meat mixture over the cheese into the hollowed bread loaf. (C) Pile the bean mixture on top.

(D) Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese evenly over the top.

Replace the top of the bread loaf and wrap the whole sandwich in parchment, and then in aluminum foil. Bake at 350℉ (177℃) for 30-45 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

Unwrap and lift the top to add fresh veggies as desired. Replace the top and slice to serve.

Stuffed Sandwich Variations

What follows are four flavor combos we especially enjoy. Once you understand the process, you can start creating your own delicious sandwich variations!

Storage

Stuffed French bread sandwich are best eaten just after they are cooked. Leftovers should be wrapped tightly in plastic film, and may be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

To reheat leftovers, slice a portion from the larger sandwich, and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until warm.

Another way to reheat leftovers is to slice them and fry the slices flat in a non-stick pan with a little butter or olive oil. Top a slice with a fried egg and eat it with a fork for a fast, tasty breakfast!

Top Tip

More Hot Sandwich Recipes

Hot sandwiches are easy, satisfying and budget-friendly, and the possibilities are endless. Here are a few more of our favorites!

What to Serve with French Bread Sandwiches

Depending on the weather, we enjoy these sandwiches with fresh fruit, a savory salad, or a warm bowl of soup.

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