Stuffed Potato French Loaf

Potato and Cheese stuffed French Loaf is a delicious recipe with bread. This easy vegetarian French Bread sandwich makes a great holiday centerpiece!

Make this Potato Cheese stuffed bread recipe in 30 minutes! This baked Indian fusion recipe will remind you of Vada Pav because it has all the flavors of it minus the effort!

Calling all vada pav lovers

If you are from Bombay, India then you love Vada Pav! Period! There is no argument here. Vada Pav is like Mac Donalds for us. We have grown up on it.

Every street boasts of a vada pav vendor who makes the world's best vada pav. It is also called a "Poor man's meal" because of its affordability and simplicity.

Street food fusion

Being from Bombay, I love all kinds of Indian street food. Recently, I seem to have caught the fusion bug and am loving experimenting with the recipes.

Fusion recipes are always a hit! There's a little bit of nostalgia mixed with a surprise element which always works.

These kinds of recipes are extremely popular during the holidays and festive season. People are in a mood to indulge and experiment.

Why make this

I love making recipes like these on days when I am in no mood to cook an elaborate meal. This is a lazy person's (aka ME) dinner recipe!

• vegetarian stuffed bread recipe
• makes a great centerpiece at the dining table during the holidays
• is a baked dish that can feed many
• can easily be made vegan
• innovative Indian fusion entree recipe
• saves time instead of making individual vada pav

Russet Potatoes and green peas - they are a popular combo! Use any other variety of potatoes that will mash well.

French loaf - I get my French Loaf from Publix grocery store. Use fresh bread to make this stuffed French sandwich. Pick a good sturdy crusty loaf of French Bread so it holds up well.

Spices - turmeric, garam masala, cumin powder, amchur powder, chaat masala, and Italian seasoning make this stuffed French loaf very flavorful.

Cheese - I have used 3 different varieties of cheese here - mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and Pecorino cheese. Feel free to use whatever cheese you have at hand.

Herbs and other basic ingredients - cilantro, ginger paste, garlic paste, garlic cloves, green chilies, or serrano peppers are needed in this recipe.

Fried onions, green chutney, and dry garlic chutney powder give this French Loaf Vada Pav the authentic vada pav flavor.

• Cook the potatoes first. I cooked them in a microwave for 15 minutes. Peel and grate the potatoes. You can also mash them.
• Heat oil in a pan. Temper cumin seeds. Add the minced green chillies, ginger and garlic paste to the pan. Saute for 2 minutes till the raw smell goes away. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, cumin powder, garam masala, chaat masala, Italian seasoning, and amchur powder.
• Next add the green peas and salt.
• Now add the grated potatoes, and half the cilantro. Mix it all together till the veggies get coated well. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Check and add the seasoning as required.
• It's fine if its a bit salty and spicy at this point. It will balance out eventually. Transfer the potato mixture to a bowl. The stuffing is now ready.
• Melt butter in a bowl. Add minced garlic and mix together. Also ensure that the green chutney is at room temperature.

• You need freshly baked French Loaf for this cheese stuffed bread recipe.
• Carefully cut the loaf in half using a serrated knife.
• Scoop out the center part of the bread on both halves to make a depression.
• Smear garlic butter all over the insides of the bread. Then smear green chutney over it.
• Sprinkle garlic masala powder (used to make vada pav) all over.
• Fill both the halves with potato mixture. Be generous and stuff it well. Sprinkle mixed cheese and the remaining cilantro on one half of the loaf.
• Sprinkle fried onions on the other half of the loaf.
• Carefully close the loaf. Smear butter on top.
• Wrap with nicely with an aluminium foil. This will help keep the bread soft because of the steam. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Bake it for 15-20 minutes. Let it rest outside for 5 minutes before unwrapping it.

Serving suggestions 🍽 

The bread should be warm, not very hot. Cut the Potato stuffed French loaf in slices and serve with spicy green chutney, ketchup, and some dry garlic powder on the side. 

This comforting and delicious Baked Vada Pav is perfectly crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. Do try this!

Stuffed Potato French Loaf can be served as an entree during the festive/holiday season. It would make a delicious centerpiece for Diwali, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, or any other occasion.

Leftovers can also be had for breakfast or snacks the next day. You can also pack these cheese-stuffed French bread sandwich slices in a lunchbox.

Top recipe tips 💭

Wrapping it in Aluminium foil helps keep the bread softer and slightly crisp due to the trapped steam. If you want the bread to be crispy, do not wrap the bread in foil.

It's alright if the vada pav mixture is a bit spicy and/or salty. It will balance out when eaten with the loaf. Also, be really generous with the stuffing. More is good.

Dry garlic chutney is significant to Indian vada pav. But if you don't have, sprinkle some chilly powder mixed with garlic powder all over the bread. You can even drizzle some hot sauce. 

Use that scooped-out bread to make breadcrumbs or use it in some other recipe. I made Bread Gulab Jamun Matka Kulfi with this leftover bread.

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram @cookilicious with the hashtag #cookiliciousveg. I love hearing your feedback! 

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