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Recipes

How to Make a Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt Better than Panera

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UIUC chapter.

As of a few months ago, the only thing I had ever ordered from Panera was their broccoli cheddar soup. It wasn’t until I discovered their Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt that I stopped ordering the famous soup.

As soon as I took my first bite I realized that I had wasted so many orders by not getting the heavenly sandwich sooner. I devoured it and the rest is history (I’ve gotten it ever since).

After habitually ordering the same sandwich so many times I decided to make a version of it myself since it seemed like a simple recipe. To my surprise, it was tricky to master and took a few months to perfect but the wait was totally worth it. I was quite impressed with myself at how similar my sandwich tasted to Panera’s.

The sandwich is super easy to make and only has a few simple ingredients. It’s perfect for a quick lunch between classes and is actually pretty healthy, too. 

Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 5 minutesTotal time: 15 minutesServings:2 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Angela Kerndl

    Slice the bell pepper into thin slices and set aside. Then dice the avocado.

  2. Angela Kerndl

    Heat the olive oil on a medium skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir until it’s lightly browned. Add the chicken breast to the pan and let it sit for 3 minutes on medium heat without touching it.

    After 3 minutes flip it to the other side and let it sit for another 3 minutes. Slice the chicken into small pieces and make sure it’s cooked all the way through.

  3. Angela Kerndl

    Toast the bread as long you want.

  4. Angela Kerndl

    Preheat the oven to 350°. Generously spread the chipotle sauce on slices of toast. Top with the chicken, pepper, avocado and cilantro. Add a few slices of cheese to each.

  5. Angela Kerndl

    Heat up the sandwiches in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy.

If you’re looking to switch up your lunch, be sure to try this tasty version of Panera’s legendary sandwich. It is a healthy lunch choice and is sure to give you the energy boost you need to finish your day off strong.

Angela is a broadcast journalism student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She recently spent six months eating her way through Mexico. She looks forward to spending another six months studying abroad, this time in Hong Kong. She is currently training for her first ever marathon and hopes to qualify for the Boston Marathon. She loves spending time cooking while listening to NPR. You can follow her on instagram @angelakerndl and @hangry.angela!...also, her spirit animal is Haruki Murakami.