Helen's Sausage Stuffed French Bread

Ingredients

• 2 (15-inch) French breads
• 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
• 2 tablespoons chopped jalapenos
• 1 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 8 ounces grated sharp Cheddar
• 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
• Corn or tortilla chips, for dipping, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a serrated knife, trim the upper quarter off the length of the top of each loaf. Hollow out the center of the loaves, leaving about a 1/2-inch shell. Set aside.

Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring to break up any clumps. Add the jalapenos, bell peppers, and green onions. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted, about 2 minutes. Add the Essence and remove from the heat.

Fill the hollowed-out bread loaves with equal amounts of the sausage-cheese mixture and wrap each in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, unwrap, and sprinkle with parsley.

Serve warm with chips for dipping, if desired, or cut the bread crosswise into 2-inch slices.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.