HIppopotamus Hamburgers

Richard said he wanted hamburgers for dinner...and then influenced by one of Rachel's favorite books he asked for hippopotamus hamburgers. (The book, which I have memorized, is "But not the Hippopotamus" by Sandra Boynton. My kids have all enjoyed her board books.) The only bread I had in the house was a loaf of french bread we bought yesterday. I didn't really relish the idea of hamburgers on french bread - it just didn't seem right - even if I could slice it thin enough which I couldn't because my boys decided to use my good one Kira bought me years ago as a hammer on the counter edges. It gave up the ghost a few months ago. :( (Anyone know where to get a good all around slicing knife...I tried to buy a new one at Christmas, but it was so dull that even when it slipped and landed hard on my finger (using so much pressure to try and make it cut) it didn't even break skin! (we now return to the original story) So I began thinking, what if I ground up the hamburger and made a long sandwich...impossible taco pie style came to mind and Hippopotamus Hamburgers were born. Here's the recipe...good for quick easy less mess dinners and parties too!

Hippopotamus Hamburgers
1 lb. hamburger
diced tomatoes (1 can or 1-2 tomatoes)
chopped onion
taco seasoning
1 loaf french bread
1 c mayonnaise
1 c sour cream
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce

Fry hamburger, (drain grease if necessary), add taco seasoning, onions, and tomatoes. Slice french bread loaf in half and scoop out middle to make a lengthwise crater. Crumble and stir in scooped out bread to hamburger mix. (This absorbs the extra juice from the tomatoes.)
Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well and spoon into the french bread. Warm filled bread in heated oven for 5-10 minutes. Topp with shredded lettuce.
(You could also leave the tomatoes out of the filling and top with fresh tomatoes instead.)