Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt Recipe (Panera Copycat)

No ratings yet

Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt Recipe (Panera Copycat)

A quick copycat of Panera’s chipotle chicken avocado melt. This toasted focaccia sandwich uses rotisserie chicken, smoky chipotle mayo, pimentos, avocado, and melty cheddar for an easy lunch idea in 25 minutes.

Prep Time20

Cook Time5

Total Time25

Course: lunch, Main Course, Sandwiches

Cuisine: American

Servings: sandwiches

Calories: 842kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

Baking Sheet

Ingredients

For the Chipotle Mayo:

½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce seeded and chopped, from a small can*
1 clove garlic minced

For the Sandwich:

16 ounces focaccia bread 1 loaf**
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken ***
4-6 slices white cheddar cheese ****
4 ounces diced pimento peppers 1 small jar, drained
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 avocado sliced*****
¼ cup cilantro leaves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, chipotle pepper, and garlic.
½ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, 1 clove garlic
Slice the bread in half horizontally. Layer the chicken and cheese on the bottom half of the loaf. Place both halves, sliced side up, on a sheet pan. Drizzle the top half with olive oil. Toast in the oven for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted.
16 ounces focaccia bread, 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, 4-6 slices white cheddar cheese
Toss the pimento peppers with the vinegar and olive oil. Layer the avocado slices, peppers, and a sprinkle of cilantro leaves over the chicken and melted cheese. Spread the chipotle mayonnaise on the top half of the loaf.
4 ounces diced pimento peppers, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 avocado, ¼ cup cilantro leaves, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Place the top half of the loaf on the toppings to close the sandwich. Slice into 4 smaller sandwiches.

Notes

*Start with 1 pepper, but add more for extra heat, if desired.

**I tried this with focaccia, ciabatta, and country bread, which all taste great. But since Panera uses Black Pepper Focaccia for this sandwich, I went with a focaccia bread for that signature texture.

***Grab a rotisserie chicken from the store, or use any shredded chicken.

****I used white cheddar, but Panera uses smoked Gouda. So feel free to swap that in.

*****Fresh sliced avocado works best here for texture. But in a pinch, spread some guacamole onto the sandwich instead.

Tips:

Blend the mayo in a mini food processor for a smoother texture.
Optionally toss the chicken in a tablespoon of the chipotle mayo before layering.
For extra melty cheese, place it under the broiler for 30-60 seconds instead of just baking.
Slice avocado right before serving, or drizzle with a squeeze of lime juice to prevent browning.

Make Ahead: Make the chipotle mayo up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Mix the pimentos with vinegar and olive oil up to 2 days ahead and store in a sealed container. Assemble the sandwich up to the avocado, wrap tightly, and refrigerate. Add avocado right before serving.

Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, wrapped tightly or in an airtight container. Keep the avocado separate if possible to prevent browning.

Nutrition