Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Baguette with Garlic Butter

By Lsweetnell

This is great stuffed bread for making ahead. Just assemble then pop it in the freezer until you need it, then all you have to do is bake them when you are ready to serve! So many options for fillings....I've provided a few more ideas in the notes.

Ingredients

• GARLIC BUTTER:
• 1/2 tablespoon oil
• 8 ounces bacon, diced (I used lean bacon)
• 1 (20-inch) baguette / french stick
• 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (Note 1)
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup (packed) jalapeños, finely chopped (if using fresh, deseed it. Or use canned, drained)
• 1 cup finely chopped scallions or shallots, green and white part
• Black pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch of salt

Details

Servings 24
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 35mins
Adapted from recipetineats.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in a pan over high heat. Add bacon and cook until lightly browned. Remove onto a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess fat. Set aside to cool.

Cut the ends off the baguette and cut the baguette in half (or quarters - makes it easier to stuff).

Use a long knife (preferably bread knife) to cut the bread out, leaving about a ½" wall of bread and crust. (Note 2)

Place the bacon, cream cheese, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, jalapeños, scallions or shallots and pepper in a bowl and mix until combined.

Use a knife or piping bag to stuff the mixture inside the baguettes.

Make the Garlic Butter: melt butter with the garlic and salt in the microwave or on the stove.

Brush the baguette with garlic butter (or you can do this after you slice it).

Slice the baguette into ½" slices.
Keep the slices pressed up against each other, and transfer to a large piece of foil.

Wrap the baguette, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bread is crusty and the cheese inside is melted.

For best experience, serve warm!

NOTES
1. You can use Cheddar or any other cheese with flavor.
2. Keep the bread you remove to make breadcrumbs! Let it dry out on a plate, then crumble and store in an airtight container until required.
3. To make ahead: Assemble the baguette then wrap in foil then with cling wrap and place in the freezer until required. To reheat, defrost and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. I don't recommend baking from frozen because the crust will be a very dark brown before the center heats up enough for the cheese to melt.
4. Filling options: You just need 4 cups of any combination of fillings (cheese, pepperoni etc) mixed with 8 ounces of cream cheese in order to have enough filling for a 20-inch baguette. I think that 1 cup of cheddar or other flavor cheese combined with ½ cup of mozzarella is a good ratio of stretchy to flavored cheese, but you can mix it up as you want. The mozzarella is there for the "stretch".

Other stuffing ideas:
* Pizza: 1½ cups cheese, ½ cup shallots/scallions, 1½ cups pepperoni or salami and ½ cup diced red pepper / bell peppers.
* Bacon Ranch: Same recipe as Jalapeño Bacon, but add dry ranch mix
* Buffalo chicken: 1½ cups cheese (optional to use some blue cheese), 1½ cups chopped chicken, 1 cup scallions/shallots, ¼ cup hot sauce.
* Italian: 1½ cups cheese, 2½ cups mixture of olives, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, salami
* Cheesy corn: 1½ cups cheese, 2 cups corn, ½ cup cilantro/coriander/jalapenos
* Spinach and artichoke - 1½ cups cheese, 1½ packet frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water, 1½ cups chopped artichokes

PREP TIME
15 mins
COOK TIME
20 mins
TOTAL TIME
35 mins