Stuffed Rolls

These baked stuffed rolls are throwback potluck food that still shows up at tailgates and church suppers. The method is clever and lazy in the best way: hollow out French rolls, grind the filling ingredients together in a food processor or old-school meat grinder (using the crumbs from the hollowed centers as a binder), then stuff the mixture back into the bread shells.

The filling leans savory-umami with sharp aged cheddar, pimento-stuffed green olives, tomato sauce for moisture, and diced green bell pepper. Ground together, the mixture becomes a thick paste that fills each roll without falling out.

Forty-five minutes in a moderate oven melts the cheese into every crevice and crisps the top of each roll. The bread acts as an edible container, soaking up just enough sauce to stay soft inside while turning golden-crunchy outside. Eat them hot with a napkin in hand, or let them cool and pack for a picnic.

Kitchen Tips

• Use old-style crusty French rolls, not soft dinner rolls. Soft rolls collapse under the filling weight.
• Grind the filling ingredients coarsely, not to a paste. Small chunks give the rolls texture.
• Use sharp or extra-sharp aged cheddar. Mild cheddar gives a one-note, greasy result.
• Save the hollowed-out bread crumbs and grind them with the filling. They act as binder and give the stuffing structure.
• Secure the tops with toothpicks. Without them the tops pop off during baking and the filling dries out.

Variations

• Swap green olives for black olives or a mix of both for a different briny profile.
• Add cooked, crumbled Italian sausage or ground beef for a heartier filling.
• Use pepper jack or smoked gouda instead of cheddar for a smokier, spicier bite.