Helen's Sausage Stuffed French Bread (Emeril Lagasse) Recipe

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Serve warm with chips for dipping, if desired, or cut the bread crosswise into 2-inch slices.
6. Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
7. 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
8. 2 tablespoons salt
9. 2 tablespoons garlic powder
10. 1 tablespoon black pepper
11. 1 tablespoon onion powder
12. 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
13. 1 tablespoon dried oregano
14. 1 tablespoon dried thyme
15. Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
16. Yield: 2/3 cup
17. Recipe from New New Orleans Cooking , by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.