Jeff is a well-seasoned home cook who produces Make It…
A decadent combination of feta, spinach and salami graces the inside of a baguette, then baked until golden and bubbly. Dangerously good.
This recipe for feta-spinach stuffed french bread has been unleashed to the unsuspecting world as a killer appetizer. It is packed with flavor. It’s gorgeous. And it’s easy to make.
Laden with layers of delicious cheeses and spices, baguettes are baked until golden and bubbly. It’s a crowd-pleasing appetizer or side dish that you’ll want to make over and over again.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
Prepare the Spinach: Start by thawing your frozen spinach if you’re using it. You can do this by leaving it out at room temperature for a few hours, or by using the defrost function on your microwave. Once the spinach is thawed, it will contain a lot of excess water which needs to be removed before you can use it. To do this, place the spinach in a clean dish towel or cheese cloth and squeeze it firmly until no more water comes out. This draining process ensures your stuffing won’t be overly soggy.
Create the Creamy Base: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream. These ingredients will form the creamy base for your stuffing. Make sure to mix them well until they are fully integrated and smooth. Add in the dry soup mix and a sprinkle of pepper according to your preference. You can adjust these to your taste.
Incorporate the Cheese: Now, add half of your mozzarella cheese and all of the feta cheese into the creamy base you just prepared. Mix these ingredients well until the cheese is distributed evenly. The combination of feta and mozzarella gives a fantastic blend of sharp and mild cheesy flavor.
Add Spinach and Salami: After mixing in the cheese, it’s time to add your prepared spinach and salami into the mix. Stir these ingredients until they’re evenly spread throughout the mixture. This combination of ingredients provides a wonderful contrast of textures and flavors.
Prepare the Baguettes: Next, take your baguettes and hollow them out from the top. You can do this by cutting a rectangle into the top and pulling out the bread from within, leaving enough bread around the edges to create a sort of bowl. This hollow space will be the area where you add your stuffing.
Fill the Baguettes: With your hollowed-out baguettes ready, start spooning your mixture into the bread. Fill each baguette until it’s completely stuffed with the mixture, but not overflowing. Once they are filled, top them with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake the Baguettes: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Once the oven is heated, place your filled baguettes on a baking tray and bake them for about 20 to 24 minutes. Keep an eye on the baguettes during the final minutes of baking – you want the cheese on top to turn golden and start bubbling, but not to burn.
Cool and Serve: After baking, remove the baguettes from the oven and let them cool slightly. This will make them easier to handle and allow the flavors to settle. Once they’ve cooled a bit, they’re ready to be served. Cut the stuffed baguettes into slices and enjoy the creamy, cheesy, and flavorful spinach and salami filling encased in a crusty baguette.
Jeff is a well-seasoned home cook who produces Make It Like a Man, an occasionally irreverent blog about more-or-less everyday cooking. When he's not at home making vanilla extract, Jeff divides his time between hanging in out in cafés and dedicating himself to several arts and culinary-related Chicago-area non-profits. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Chicago Food Bloggers.
