STUFFED FRENCH BREAD

STUFFED FRENCH BREAD 1 loaf french bread 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 Lb. lean ground beef 1 small onion -chopped 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 cup chopped leek (you can use other chopped vegetables: carrots, celery, green bell pepper…) 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of celery or chicken soup) 1 Tablespoons milk ( or more if needed ) 1 Tablespoon mustard salt and pepper, to taste 1 1/2-2 cups shredded cheese chopped parsley (optional) Preheat the oven to 350 F. Slice French bread in half (lengthwise), scoop the center of each half and crumble it in a large bowl. Place the halves of bread onto a baking sheet and set aside. In a large skillet place 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and ground beef and cook over medium-high heat until the beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Add chopped onion, chopped leek (or other vegetables) and minced garlic and cook a few minutes until the vegetable is tender. Add soup, mustard, salt and pepper to taste and cook for at least 5 minutes. If the mixture is too thick add a little milk. Add cooked beef mixture to the bread and stir to combine. Spread the mixture in the center of one half of the french bread. Spread shredded cheese in the center of other half of the french bread. and place the bread carefuly back on top of first half. Bake 10-15 minutes (until the cheese is melted). If you don’t want to brown the bread too much or to become too crispy, cover with aluminium foil. Let it cool 5-10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with chopped parsley if you like.