The recipe
A Hot Party Sandwich Built Inside a Hollowed French Loaf
Puffed Turkey Sandwich Loaf appears on printed page 6 of the Centennial Cookbook 1893–1993 from Farmersville, Illinois, where it is credited to Doris Sorrells in the Appetizers, Beverages & Dips section. Despite the name, this is not a turkey loaf or terrine—it is a hot party sandwich constructed inside a hollowed loaf of French bread.
The bread is first brushed with a mayonnaise-Dijon mixture and toasted, then layered with sliced turkey and tomato. A topping of mayonnaise, onion, garlic and Parmesan is spread over the assembled loaf and broiled until it puffs and browns. That final broiled layer is the defining move, turning a practical make-ahead sandwich into the dramatic centerpiece the recipe name promises.
Why it matters
Why This One Is Worth Bringing Back
Puffed Turkey Sandwich Loaf is much more specific than its name first suggests. This is not a turkey meatloaf or a cold deli sandwich. A one-pound loaf of French bread is split horizontally and hollowed until only a half-inch shell remains, creating a crisp-edged vessel for the filling.
The bread is brushed with a mayonnaise-Dijon mixture and baked before the filling goes in. Thin slices of cooked turkey are layered inside, seasoned, then covered with quarter-inch tomato slices. The final mixture—mayonnaise, finely chopped onion, crushed garlic and Parmesan—is spread over the sandwich and its cut edges.
The last step explains the word puffed: just before serving, the assembled loaf goes under the broiler until that Parmesan-mayonnaise topping swells and browns. Cut into roughly one-and-a-half-inch slices, it lands somewhere between an open-faced hot sandwich, a party loaf and a baked casserole built inside bread.
That construction is exactly why the recipe deserves more than a bare transcription. It captures a style of community-cookbook entertaining built around make-ahead assembly and a dramatic last-minute finish. For another warm appetizer from the same page, see Almond Crab Spread, or explore the Centennial Cookbook Archive File.
Modern kitchen notes
If You're Making It Today
These are modern editorial suggestions, not changes to the archived recipe. When a variation comes directly from the original source, we will say so.
Keep the half-inch bread shell
The source does not simply pile toppings onto an intact loaf. Removing the interior bread creates room for the turkey and tomato while leaving enough structure to hold the sandwich together.
Toast the bread before filling it
The mayonnaise-Dijon-coated shell is baked at 375°F for ten minutes until the edges brown. That first bake is what gives the loaf enough structure for the moist filling that follows.
The broiler is the final transformation
The Parmesan-mayonnaise topping should visibly puff and pick up golden brown spots. Watch the loaf closely under the broiler rather than relying on a fixed minute count.
A note on the historical holding instruction
The printed recipe says the assembled loaf may stand at room temperature for up to two hours before broiling. Nostalgic Foodie preserves that instruction as historical source context; modern food-safety guidance may be more conservative for cooked turkey and mayonnaise-based mixtures.
Recipe card
The Preserved Recipe
Puffed Turkey Sandwich Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 lb. loaf French bread, sliced horizontally
- ⅓ C. mayonnaise plus ½ C. more mayonnaise, divided
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 12 oz. thinly sliced cooked turkey
- Salt and pepper
- 2 med. tomatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 3 T. finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
- 1 C. Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Remove as much bread as possible with fingers, leaving ½-inch shell. Mix ⅓ cup mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl. Spread this over bottom and top edges of bread. Bake on baking sheet for 10 minutes (375° oven), until edges brown. Arrange turkey slices, overlapping inside of bread, making 2 layers, salt and pepper, top with tomatoes. Stir ½ cup mayonnaise, onion, garlic and Parmesan cheese together. Spread over sandwich, covering cut edges. Before serving, place on baking sheet, then broil until topping puffs. Makes 6 servings (1½-inch slices). May be held at room temperature up to 2 hours before broiling.
Notes
From the archive
More From This Cookbook
Explore more recipes preserved from Centennial Cookbook 1893–1993.
