Two-Cheese and Ham French Loaf

Well, summer is winding down, and our time to be creative at lunch is coming to a close.  Soon it will be time to get up at an ungodly hour and pack the lunches.  I am so not looking forward to that one.  In the meantime, here is a good recipe for a summer lunch.  

It was Alex’s turn to pick out the lunch recipe and he picked out a yummy one.  He found the recipe in “Pillsbury Quick Comfort Food”, January 2006-volume #299.  Two-Cheese and Ham French Loaf is exactly what its title says it is.  A giant loaf of French bread filled with cheese and ham and pretty much whatever you’d like.  Please feel free to vary the ingredients to your liking.

I added freshly sliced tomatoes and I hollowed out the loaf of bread.  The sandwich once baked gets pretty messy and the top and bottom bread doesn’t really keep in the guts of the sandwich.  It tastes really good, but be prepared to have plenty of napkins on hand.  Isabelle loved every bite and she wouldn’t change a thing.  Mom would have changed the bread and Alex would have added more stuff to it.  All-in-all it was a deliciously messy lunch.

Two-Cheese and Ham French Loaf

1 loaf (1lb) French bread

¼ cup honey mustard

8 slices (3/4 to 1 ounce each) Swiss cheese

8 slices (3/4 to 1 ounce each) Cheddar cheese

¼ lb thinly sliced cooked ham

¾ cup strawberry or raspberry preserves* (see note)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Cut 2 large pieces of aluminum foil.  Preferably longer than the bread.  Place on a baking sheet.
3. Cut French bread in half horizontally.
4. Spread cut sides of bread with honey mustard.
5. Place bottom half of bread on foil.
6. Layer Swiss and Cheddar cheeses, and ham evenly on bottom half of bread.  Cover with the top half.
7. Wrap tightly in foil.
8. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cheeses are melted and loaf is thoroughly heated.
9. Carefully unwrap the loaf to allow steam to escape.
10. Cut loaf into 6 pieces; serve with preserves for dipping.

*we opted not use the preserves.  If you decide make this let me know how