My younger son, Luke, has been all into cooking this summer. He wants to help in the kitchen every time I make a meal, and he’s mastered several dishes on his own (like his breakfast scrambled eggs or omelet) over the past few months as well.
While I LOVE cooking with him, he makes me nervous. He wants to wield my chef’s knife like Jet Tila and that makes me uneasy. So far (knocking on wood), so good; no injuries reported in our kitchen!
Last night we watched Food Network together and played along with the shows, describing what we’d make if we were in the contestants’ place. Luckily, Luke doesn’t have free reign of the kitchen (Laffy Taffy Cheesecake, anyone?), but he is a pretty creative cook.
We were eating dinner one night recently and he said something like, “Wouldn’t tacos be good with bread instead of shells?” I whole-heartedly agreed. Pretty much anything is better with bread.
We found this recipe on Pinterest together and he made it recently. It doesn’t require any sharp knives, and he loved scooping out the bread (and eating it) along the way. You could also make croutons or breadcrumbs with the bread you take out of the middle of the loaf.
Angus ground chuck is on sale this week at Brookshire’s, so we made a double batch for big appetites!
Taco-Stuffed Baguette
Ingredients:
12 oz Angus ground chuck
1 (4.5) oz can chopped green chilies
1 (1 oz) package taco seasoning mix (or make your own)
½ cup salsa
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 20-inch bakery baguette, fully-cooked
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
Sea salt, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Brown Angus ground chuck in a heavy skillet (we love cast iron) over medium high heat. Stir in taco seasoning and mix well. Drain grease and return the seasoned ground beef to the skillet.
Stir in green chilies and salsa.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, meat mixture, cilantro and both types of cheeses. Stir well to mix thoroughly.
Using a long serrated bread knife, slice the heels off both ends of the bread. Cut bread in half or into quarters for easy handling. Scoop out the soft, middle part of the bread, leaving about a ½-inch shell in tact.
Carefully fill each section of bread with the cream cheese mixture, being careful not to tear the shell of the bread.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter, garlic and sea salt.
Place bread on a large piece of heavy duty foil and brush with the butter mixture. Wrap completely. Place foil-wrapped bread in the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes until inside is fully melted and the bread is browned.
Cut into more slices and serve immediately.
Nutritional information: Calories Per Serving: 351, Calories from Fat: 259, Fat: 29 g (16 g Saturated Fat), Cholesterol: 94 mg, Sodium: 737 mg, Carbohydrates: 7 g, Sugar: 2 g, Protein: 16 g
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