Cheesy Beef Dip in a Bread Bowl

Cheesy Beef  Dip in a  Bread Bowl

More food for the Super Bowl. This doesn’t follow my food philosophy; I mean I am suggesting you buy meat in a jar. HOWEVER, this is so good. I kept the leftover bread bowl and wrapped it in foil then heat it, sliced it up and ate the bowl!

Chipped beef is a dried, pressed, salted meat that is sliced very thin. It was a common dish in the US Army during World War II. The fact that it was inexpensive and did not need refrigeration made it a popular depression era food. It is still served in diners thought out the United States. You can find chipped beef on the aisle with canned tuna. I prefer Amour.

Chipped beef is insanely salty. Salt lick salty. To make it more palatable, I pour boiling water over the beef in a bowl. After allowing the beef to soak for 10 minutes, I discard that water and repeat the process. If you don’t mind very salty snacks, you can skip this step.

Time:  Active time: 15 minutes; cooking:  25 minutes, crunchy goodness in 45 minutes (an hour if you are removing the saltiness)

Hardware: Knives and a cutting board, a saucepan, measuring spoons and cups, a mixer, a mixing bowl, a silicone spatula, a large serrated knife, parchment paper or foil, and a baking sheet

Ingredients:

• Large (1 pound) round sourdough loaf
• 2-2ounce jars chipped beef
• 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
• 8 ounces of shredded cheddar
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayo
• 2 green onions
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. To make clean up easier, line the cooking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. If you desalted the beef (and you should) dry it. Roughly chop the beef. This is easiest to do, if you roll it up. Slice the green onions into thin rings. Use the white and the green parts. Set aside.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients with the mixer. Then fold in the beef and onions.
4. Use the serrated knife to make a bread bowl. Cut down into the bowl at an angle. Make sure to not cut down too far. Save the top of the bowl for dipping. You can scoop out more bread if needed. See the illustration below.
5. Fill the space that you created with the beef mixture. Place the bowl onto the baking sheet.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is crunchy. Serve right away with the reserved pieces of bread, crackers or soft pretzels.