Honestly I’ve never been Panera’s biggest fan. I like it well enough. I go there when it’s convenient and I want a sandwich or bowl of soup, but I would never go out of my way to eat there.
When I do end up there I always order the Frontega Chicken Panini and a cup of black bean soup.
Sandwiches aren’t tough to make at home, which might explain my lack of enthusiasm for Panera. After a huge stock up trip to Costco where I had picked up a rotisserie chicken these sandwiches were on the menu for the week.
What makes these better than Panera is you get to put as much of the yummy stuff in there as you want. I can’t tell you how many times my husband looks at his sandwich to find one tiny little piece of chicken. He complains he leaves hungry every time and his supposed to be hot sandwiches are always cold.
He was pretty happy with these sandwiches served along side Trader Joe’s Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup. I loaded his up with chicken, slathered on some extra spicy chipotle mayo and pressed them until piping hot on the panini grill.
- 3 tablespoons lite mayo
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 2 ciabatta rolls
- 1 chicken breast, roasted then shredded or use a deli rotisserie chicken
- ½ tomato, sliced
- ¼ red onion, sliced
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
- In a mini food processor combine mayo and chipotle pepper. Process until smooth.
- Split ciabatta rolls, spread both sides of the bun with chipotle mayo, layer on chicken, tomato, red onion, mozzarella cheese, and basil.
- Heat panini press to medium high, press about 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
Approx cost per serving: $3.23
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