Gourmet Lunch Ideas

A delicious lunch can be the highlight of a work day. On the weekends, this casual mid-day meal is an opportunity to break from activities and gather your family to enjoy some simple, yet flavorful homemade food. If the weather is nice, sit outside and soak up a little sun while partaking in these traditional lunch items with a D’Artagnan make-over.

Lunch D'Artagnan Style - Everyday Food – Dartagnan.com

  • Sandwiches are a lunch mainstay. For a French-inspired lunch, prepare a croque monsieur or a tartine. A tartine is a French open-faced sandwich, usually consisting of a flavorful spread on top of a large piece of bread that is then topped with various thinly-sliced ingredients. They are as beautiful as they are tasty.
  • A juicy burger is easy to throw together with D’Artagnan’s pre-made Wagyu Beef Burger Patties or Buffalo Burgers. Cook ‘em up and top them with your favorite cheese, crispy bacon, and sautéed organic mushrooms.
  • Throw together a quick pizza using pre-made pizza crust. Spread on barbeque sauce, top with shredded smoked chicken breast, layer on fresh mozzarella, and sprinkle with green onions. Bake until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
  • For a warming meal, try creamy butternut squash or pumpkin soup, garnished with parmesan croutons and drizzled with truffle oil. Or start a homemade chicken soup in the morning to enjoy mid-day.
  • Quiche is great for lunch because it can be made ahead and further simplified by using a pre-made crust. For ideas about quiche fillings, look to your leftovers. Any bits of leftover meat, vegetables, herbs, and cheese can make a delicious quiche.
  • Salad doesn’t always have to be an accompaniment to a sandwich or a slice of quiche. Move salad to the center of the plate and bulk it up to make it a meal in itself. A hearty salad Niçoise, with seared tuna, anchovies, French green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, olives, and hard-cooked eggs can be made into a special treat by swapping out everyday chicken eggs for elegant quail eggs. Or try greens topped with crumbled blue cheese, candied walnuts, dried cherries, and slices of smoked duck breast. Drizzle with a fig balsamic vinaigrette.
  • For a fun lunch, especially for a crowd, organize a sausage tasting, comparing the flavors of sausage made from lamb, duck, chicken, wild boar, and venison. Grab some buns and an array of condiments, including Dijon mustard, grilled onions, spicy peppers, and pickle relish, and vote for your favorite.