Sara Lee, makers of bread, buns, rolls and breakfast products, has launched its first-ever, bakery-inspired bread, Artesano.
Artesano bread is now available in grocery stores and major food retailers nationwide, just in time for April's National Grilled Cheese Month and National Grilled Cheese Day on April 12.
Sara Lee Artesano bread is the newest addition to the Sara Lee bread portfolio, bridging the bakery and grocery aisle divide with a handmade taste and mouthwateringly soft texture. Sliced thick and ringed with a golden crust, the new bread is rich with flavor and has a distinctly creamy character. The homemade taste is without artificial flavors, colors or high-fructose corn syrup, and serves as an ideal bread for your everyday -- whether toasting it at breakfast or including it in a favorite sandwich at lunch. Artesano bread is also perfect for more creative recipes like paninis, French toast, bread pudding, strata or grilled cheese sandwiches.
To showcase how Artesano bread can elevate the always-popular grilled cheese sandwich, Sara Lee Bread has released several tips and new recipes showcasing some of this year's hottest food trends in celebration of National Grilled Cheese Month 2016. Starting with thick, soft Artesano slices as the perfect base of the sandwich, Sara Lee bread suggests a light butter coating on the outside of the bread for optimum grilling, and then filling the sandwich with an ideal blend of cheese and other complementary fillings -- otherwise known as "The Three Bs of the Perfect Grilled Cheese." The new Artesano bread grilled cheese recipes that feature some of the top 2106 food trends, include:
Hawaiian flavors: The tropical flavors of the Hawaiian islands can be found everywhere in 2016, including in the tangy barbecued-pork and pineapple combination of the Aloha Pork Grilled Cheese, which mixes sweetness and spice all in one. To really create a luau for your taste buds, incorporate a sweet, buttery cheese like Havarti into the mix.
Veggie-centric: Plant-based diets and all sorts of leafy greens are going mainstream this year, as showcased in the Farm-to-table Grilled Cheese that features arugula alongside broken egg yolk, adding a veggie focus to a normally indulgent sandwich. Pair these ingredients with an earthy, salty Gruyere cheese for a balanced blend.
Pickled: It's true, you can pickle almost anything, and expect to see more of this in 2016, as onions, cabbage and other items undergo the fermentation process, as showcased in the Zesty Grilled Cheese sandwich that utilizes red onion and spicy, artisan pickles. Pair this with a mild, creamy Fontina cheese to mellow out that added zing.
Consumers can celebrate National Grilled Cheese Month and Day and try these recipes at home by visiting ArtesanoBread.com, where additional Artesano bread-inspired recipes are also available.
"Breads like Sara Lee's new Artesano are a rarity on the grocery shelves, and we're excited we can bring this quality product to consumers who value flavor and texture, and are looking to make their routine meal remarkable," said Ben Buch, Brand Manager for Sara Lee bread. "Artesano bread elevates any recipe it touches, and it's the perfect way for consumers to bring their sandwich creation to the next level in honor of National Grilled Cheese Month."
Artesano bread is dusted with flour before being packaged in a distinct, frosted bag. It is available in the bread aisle of grocery and other stores in a 20 oz., 15-slice loaf, for a suggested retail price of $2.99.
Sara Lee Bread initially launched Artesano last fall in eight key test markets across the country, where it quickly rose to being one of the top-selling products in the bread category.
