Recipe Manuscript

Sopa De Pan Rellena

Name: Sopa De Pan Rellena
Prep time: PTPT25M
Cook time: PTPT35M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 10 thin slices French bread (baguette); 50 g unsalted butter; 50 g day-old bread, diced; 75 g lean bacon, diced; 100 g cooked poultry giblets or cooked chicken, diced; 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped; 30 g aged cheese (Parmesan or Mexican Manchego), grated; Pinch ground black pepper; 500–700 ml chicken or poultry stock; 2 eggs, beaten (for topping); 2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced (for garnish); 1 cup cooked cauliflower florets (for garnish); Additional parsley, chopped (for garnish)

"Stuffed Bread Soup"

1910

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Manuscript de Diario del Hogar

Unknown Author

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1910

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Sopa De Pan Rellena

"Se doran en manteca rebanadas delgadas de pan francés; después se frien otros pedacitos de pan, tocino magro y otras menudencias de aves, cocidas ambas carnes; cuando esté hecha la tritura, se añaden huevos duros y perejil picados, queso rayado y un poco de pimienta en polvo, y se retira luego del fuego; en seguida se pone en una cazuela una cama de pan dorado, y después otra del picadillo preparado; alternándolas de esta manera hasta el conclu'r; se agrega caldo en suficiente cantidad, se pone la sopa al fuego para que dé nada más un hervor, y retirándola en seguida, se cubre con huevo batido y se dora á fuego suave. Para servirla se adereza por encima con pechugas de ave y trocitos de coliflor, cocidas y fritas ambas cosas, rebanadas de huevo y perejil picado."

English Translation

"Thin slices of French bread are browned in butter; then other small pieces of bread, lean bacon, and other poultry giblets—both meats cooked—are fried. When the mixture is ready, chopped hard-boiled eggs and parsley, grated cheese, and a little ground pepper are added, and then it is removed from the heat. Next, in a casserole, a layer of browned bread is placed, then a layer of the prepared mixture, alternating in this way until finished. Sufficient broth is added, and the soup is put on the stove just to bring it to a boil; then, after removing it, it is covered with beaten egg and browned gently over low heat. To serve, it is garnished on top with cooked and fried slices of chicken breast and pieces of cauliflower—both cooked and fried—slices of egg, and chopped parsley."

Note on the Original Text

The original recipe is written in a flowing, descriptive style, emphasizing process over precise measurements—a characteristic of early 1900s Mexican cookery, where home cooks relied on experience and sensory cues. Ingredient quantities are general or omitted, underscoring the familiarity with thrift and resourcefulness. The spelling reflects period conventions ('queso rayado' instead of 'rallado'), and some passages elide punctuation or use contractions typical of older Spanish script ('del conclu'r'). These quirks evoke the manuscript's unique place at the intersection of oral tradition, manuscript culture, and newspaper print.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Manuscript de Diario del Hogar - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Manuscript de Diario del Hogar (1910)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1910

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful scrapbook of Mexican home cooking, this charming manuscript transforms an English grammar school notebook into a culinary time capsule. Handwritten lessons cozy up to clipped recipes from early 20th-century newspapers, serving up a flavorful blend of educational notes and savory secrets. A true window into the kitchens and tastes of historical Mexico.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe is excerpted from a Mexican Cooking Manuscript dated to 1910, composed in an old school notebook repurposed for culinary use. Many of its recipes were clipped from the newspaper 'Diario del Hogar,' an influential publication in Mexico between 1881 and 1912, popular among families seeking refined and cosmopolitan recipes. 'Sopa de pan rellena' sits at the crossroads of Mexican and European culinary traditions, evident in its use of bread, butter, and stuffed layers—hallmarks of 19th-century festive cuisine. Its rich, layered structure would have made it a centerpiece at a bourgeois table, showing both thrift (using leftovers) and sophistication (complex assembly and garnish).

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early 20th century, much of the preparing would have involved a heavy clay or cast-iron cazuela for both layering and simmering the soup, a sharp knife and wooden board for chopping, and a large spoon for mixing. Eggs were typically boiled in an iron or enamel pot, bread sliced with a bread knife, and meats fried in a wide pan or comal over a wood or coal fire. A manual cheese grater and hand whisk or fork for beating the eggs would have completed the kitchen tools set. Browning would be done over a gentle coals or flame, either directly under the pot lid or by placing the cazuela near hot embers.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

10 thin slices French bread (baguette)
3.5 oz unsalted butter
1.75 oz day-old bread, diced
2.5 oz lean bacon, diced
3.5 oz cooked poultry giblets or cooked chicken, diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 oz aged cheese (Parmesan or Mexican Manchego), grated
Pinch ground black pepper
2–3 cups chicken or poultry stock
2 eggs, beaten (for topping)
2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced (for garnish)
1 cup cooked cauliflower florets (for garnish)
Additional parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

To recreate Sopa de Pan Rellena in a modern kitchen, start by preparing 10 thin slices of French bread (baguette), and brown them in 3.5 oz of unsalted butter.
Separately, dice 1.75 oz of day-old bread, 2.5 oz of lean bacon, and 3.5 oz of cooked poultry giblets or leftover cooked chicken.
Fry these together until golden.
Once cooked, chop the meats finely and combine in a bowl.
To this meat mixture, add 2 peeled and chopped hard-boiled eggs, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 oz finely grated cheese (Parmesan or a Mexican aged cheese), and a small pinch of ground black pepper.
Mix to combine and remove from heat.
In a medium casserole dish, layer the browned bread with the prepared filling, alternating in layers.
Once layered, pour in enough hot chicken or poultry stock (2–3 cups) to barely cover the mixture.
Bring the casserole to a near boil on the stovetop and immediately remove from heat.
After this, beat 2 eggs and pour over the top; brown lightly under a grill or in a moderately hot oven.
For garnish, briefly fry 2 cooked chicken breasts and 1 cup of cooked cauliflower florets in butter.
Arrange these along with egg slices and chopped parsley on top, and serve hot.

Estimated Calories

340 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will need about 25 minutes to get your ingredients ready, and cooking takes around 35 minutes. Each serving has about 340 calories. The recipe makes 4 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.