The perfect light and easy Easter meal with Ecce Panis Gourmet Artisan Breads {Coupon Code}

I honestly thought all bread was pretty much the same until I went to Europe the first time.  One bite into those preservative-free made-fresh-daily baguettes and I realized I was very, very wrong about bread.  It turns out good bread can make a gourmet meal faster than just about anything else in the pantry.

Whenever we visit Europe, we dine on fresh bread bought from quaint little bakeries that reside on just about every corner.  We buy wine, cheese, salami, fresh fruit and veggies and we eat most meals on park benches in exotic places just to soak up as many sights as we can.  European picnics, if you will.   

Then once we return home, I not only miss all the exploring and the history, I really miss our gourmet picnics with fresh European baguettes.  It’s just really hard to look down the bread aisle and get excited about anything on the shelves once you’ve had bread that is baked fresh multiple times a day.  It’s this reason that we started our quest for a bakery near us that could come close to replicating our European bread experiences.  

And, who would’ve guessed that our “quaint” corner bakery would look like this?

I certainly didn’t.  But, after I had heard so many great things about the Ecce Panis Gourmet Artisan Breads at Walmart, I knew we had to give them a shot.  We went to our local Walmart and found the Ecce Panis European Baguette along with everything else we needed to set the table for a fun pre-Easter lunch/dinner and then headed home to taste test. 

Since Easter brunch typically runs late and tends toward the heavier side, I wanted to pair it with an early, light dinner and I knew just what I wanted to make.  Paying homage to our European picnics with fresh bread, veggies, cheese and salami, I knew I wanted to make a fun Easter meal that included our favorite things from our “European picnics” as well as some of the comforts of home. 

The result was a veggie-filled salad paired with the most delicious French baguette we’ve found in any US store.  Seriously, the Ecce Panis bread is that good. 

Latin for “behold the bread”, Ecce Panis Gourmet Artisan Breads are handcrafted and baked on a volcanic stone for a crisp crust and soft, chewy interior.  And, just like the European varieties, their bread is made daily with no preservatives, and is meant to be eaten right away.  If you don’t plan on eating it the day of, I really love that they include instructions on the back explaining how to store it and even how to “refresh the crust” when you’re ready to serve. 

Even though we were eating it the day we bought it, I still followed the instructions for heating it so we could have warm bread with a crisp crust for our meal and it was amazing.  It’s so delicious that it really doesn’t even need butter or toppings or anything, but if you do feel the need to add something, I would recommend an oil and vinegar dipping sauce for a gourmet indulgence.   

After having tried so many other brands from small markets, bakeries, and more, I honestly wasn’t expecting to ever find something that compared to our French bread, and was certainly never expecting to find it at Walmart.  The Ecce Panis line has made a convert out of me and it will now be a must-have with every Walmart trip.  And, as if it's not enough to find a gourmet artisan bread right around the corner, I'm also thrilled that there's an Ecce Panis coupon right now to get $.55 off a loaf! 

See our whole shopping trip in our #EccePanis Google+ album.

I
am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This
shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Ecce Panis but all opinions are 100% ours.  #EccePanis #cbias #SocialFabric