Want Instant Bread Bowls? Trader Joe's Has The Solution (And It's Perfect For Fall)

If you love a crusty, soft, hollowed-out boule of bread filled to the brim with your favorite piping hot fall soup, you're not just jumping on a modern culinary trend — you're continuing a longtime tradition of humans enjoying meals served in edible vessels. One of many little known facts about bread bowls is that they're the modern version of ancient Roman bread plates and medieval eating vessels. Though born of practicality, we continue enjoying bread bowls today because there's just nothing quite like tearing into a moist, flavor-soaked bread bowl after consuming its contents.

The best part is that you don't even have to make a trip to Panera to enjoy this tasty meal. Instead, head to Trader Joe's to snag a two-pack of its mini sourdough bread boules for just $2.99. Each mini loaf is about 7 ounces and several inches in diameter — the perfect size and shape to hold your favorite brand of clam chowder or homemade tomato basil bisque. The boules themselves are also reportedly delicious, with a tangy, nutty, crunchy crust and a fluffy, aromatic interior.

To create your homemade bread bowl, slice vertically into the loaf with a serrated knife, cutting a cylinder of bread from the center. Then, use your fingers to gently pull bread from the cylinder until your bowl is as large as you'd like. The hollowed out bread bits are perfect for making crispy and delicious croutons in your microwave while the resulting bowl is thick and sturdy enough to hold almost any soup.

If you're not a fan of soup, or just want an excuse to eat more bread (same), there are plenty of other interesting and delicious things you can stuff inside these cute little bread boules. Think about serving salad in a bread bowl at your next dinner party or holiday gathering. It's essentially two first courses in one; the bread soaks up the dressing and becomes a zesty, moist, no-mess version of the dinner rolls served with herb-infused olive oil at fancy Italian restaurants.

They're also the perfect vessels to elevate store-bought spinach and artichoke dip simply by making it more visually appealing. You can certainly make homemade dip if you prefer, but if you have a brand you love and are short on time, a bread bowl filled to the brim with creamy, herby dip surrounded by crispy bread pieces, veggie sticks, and other delectable dippers is also certain to impress guests. Additionally, if your holiday cheese ball refuses to firm up, just slap it inside a rustic-looking bread boule.

Possibly the trendiest use for these adorable little loaves is by lighting up your dinner party with butter candles. Butter candles are literally candles made from butter with food-safe wicks. They're pretty easy to make at home, and look gorgeous inside a hollow bread boule. Surround your candle with additional pieces of sourdough for dipping in the melted butter, light your candles, and enjoy.