Best Panera Recipes No Longer on the Menu!

Panera Bread went live with a new menu on April 4, 2024 – but that also led to them discontinuing a BUNCH of everybody’s favorite menu items! Just because they’re not on the menu doesn’t mean YOU can’t make them for yourself!

Luckily I’ve been on the Panera Copycat Recipe Train for a while and have been making a bunch of them so YOU can still get have your favorites at home!

Panera’s New Menu

Their new menu includes new salads and sandwiches! Here’s what is new:

• Sandwiches
  • Chicken Bacon Rancher
  • Ciabatta Cheesesteak
  • Toasted Italiano
  • Tomato Basil BLT
  • Bacon Avocado Melt (pictured above)
• Salads
  • Southwest Chicken Ranch Salad
  • Ranch Cobb Salad
  • Mediterranean Chicken Greens with Grains
  • Balsamic Chicken Greens with Grains
• Other
  • Bacon Mac & Cheese

Enhanced Menu Items

Panera has also “enhanced” a load of items – which means they have changed the original recipe. Here’s a list of the enhanced items and links to the original recipes if I have them:

• Sandwiches
  • Chipotle Chicken Avo Melt
  • Toasted Frontega Chicken
  • Spicy Buffalo Chicken Melt
  • Smokehouse BBQ Chicken
  • Grilled Chicken & Avocado BLT
  • Bravo Club
  • Turkey & Cheddar Sandwich
• Salads
  • Green Goddess Chicken Cobb Salad (pictured above)
  • Fuji Apple Chicken Salad
  • Caesar Salad with Chicken
  • Greek Salad with Chicken
  • Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad

Panera Discontinued Menu Items

Whew!!! But now – we move on to the big stuff – what is GONE?!?!?!

They basically eliminated anything that is NOT a sandwich, salad or soup as well as a number of breakfast items. They also eliminated some sandwich favorites! Here are all the recipes I have for the eliminated items!

Discontinued Panera Bowls

Panera had expanded menu to quite a few “bowls” and they are all GONE! But I loved them so I had made them along the way. Now you don’t have to say goodbye to them!

Baja Grain Bowl

This copycat of the Panera Baja Warm Grain Bowl is packed with juicy, marinated chicken, brown rice, quinoa, avocado, tomatoes, feta and more! It’s great for any meal at home or make-ahead meal planning!

Mediterranean Grain Bowl

This copycat Panera Mediterranean Warm Grain Bowl recipe has everything that the Panera version has – but it’s even better and super easy to make! I love the combo of all my favorite ingredients like olives, hummus, tahini and Greek yogurt! 

They still have the Mediterranean Sandwich though – but you can make it at home too!

Teriyaki Chicken & Broccoli Bowl

Panera Bread’s Teriyaki Chicken & Broccoli Bowl is a hearty lunch or dinner option! Frankly – I loved it so much when I tried it at Panera, I came home and made it the very next day! Panera’s sauce is a little sweeter than some teriyaki sauces I’ve tasted before – but it is super delicious and this copycat version is ready in about 15 minutes!

SIDE NOTE: THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE PANERA RECIPE!

Panera Broth Bowls (discontinued previously)

This Panera Broth Bowl recipe is perfection and spot on! These have disappeared from the Panera menu but they’re still in our minds and now can be in our belly! I was one of the FIRST to try them and the blog post review went viral.

Retired Entrees & Pasta Dishes

Panera Flatbread Pizza – all are gone

Chipotle Chicken & Bacon

Panera Flatbread Pizza was added a couple years ago. My favorite was the Chipotle Chicken & Bacon Flatbread Pizza. It’s cheesy with lots of bacon and so good!

They had a variety of pizzas in the past few years – but I only made this one version.

Panera Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese

They combined their white mac & cheese with their Broccoli Cheddar soup to make their Panera Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese and this copycat is spot on perfection!

MY FAVORITE! SO MUCH BETTER THAN THEIR REGULAR MAC!

Chicken Tortellini Alfredo

This rich and creamy chicken alfredo tortellini tastes just like (if not even better than!) the now discontinued Panera Bread version. Made with a homemade alfredo sauce, this easy weeknight copycat recipe is comfort food done right!

Panera Pasta Primavera

One of my favorites was their Pasta Primavera. It had tender, ribbon-shaped noodles tossed with a blend of vegetables in a lemon garlic cream sauce on a bed of fresh spinach and topped with asiago-parmesan cheese and basil pesto. This copycat version is a perfect light lunch any day of the week!

Discontinued Panera Sandwiches

Napa Almond Chicken Salad

This Copycat Panera Napa Almond Chicken Salad is so light and refreshing! It’s the perfect lunch! What makes this Chicken Salad different? First of all, there are grapes and almonds in it, plus the dressing is a little fancier than just mayo! I loved it!

Southwest Chicken Melt

Panera just added this sandwich a month before the big menu change and it’s already gone! Shredded chicken, smoked gouda, red onion, cilantro and chipotle aioli on thick slices of toasted sourdough.

Chipotle Chicken Panini

Chipotle Chicken Panini, the ever loved fan-favorite with melty sharp cheddar, smoky bacon, and savory chipotle mayonnaise, may not be served at Panera Bread anymore but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the beloved sandwich at home!

Discontinued Panera Salads

Asian Sesame Salad

This Asian Sesame Salad from Panera is one of my favorite salads on their menu and it’s so easy to make at home! Juicy slices of chicken, crunchy romaine lettuce, fresh cilantro, toasted almonds, sesame seeds and wonton strips (what a crunch!) tossed in a delicious and sweet Asian sesame vinaigrette.

THE UPROAR OVER THIS COMING OFF THE MENU IS WOWZA!

BBQ Chicken Salad (gone for a while – potentially comes back seasonally)

Panera’s BBQ Chicken Salad starts with romaine lettuce, and it’s topped with citrus-marinated chicken, black bean & corn salsa, pickled red onions and fried onions. Then, it’s topped with a BBQ Ranch dressing and a sweet barbecue-style cider vinegar dressing.

Southwest Caesar Salad

Panera Bread Southwest Caesar Salad has crisp romaine lettuce, chunks of fresh avocado, juicy grilled chicken, Panera’s classic Caesar dressing and a drizzle of chipotle aioli all come together for a delicious salad!

Southwest Chili Lime Ranch Salad

This Copycat Panera Southwest Chili Lime Ranch Salad with Chicken is my absolute favorite!!! I made it three times this past week!!! Once you have all the ingredients – you can’t help but make it every day!

Retired Panera Soups

Panera has been known to bring some of these back seasonally – but at times they were on the permanent menu which has shrunk considerably for the soup category.

Black Bean Soup

Love the flavor of the black bean soup from Panera? Want to enjoy it at home? Now you can with this simple Copycat Panera Black Bean Soup recipe! It has all the same flavors and takes only 30 minutes to make!

Autumn Squash Soup

Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup perfectly captures the essence of the cozy, fall season. With its creamy texture, subtle sweetness, and a hint of spice, this soup is a true crowd-pleaser.

Another previously discontinued soup was their Cream Cheese Potato Soup – so creamy and delicious.

10 Vegetable Soup

Panera’s Ten Vegetable Soup is obviously LOADED with vegetables – 10 to be exact – but it’s also packed with nutrition and flavor! This copycat recipe has all the healthy goodness you’ve come to expect from Panera – and I think – it even tastes a little better! 😉

Turkey Chili

Panera Turkey Chili is a favorite in our house! You can make this hearty, chunky chili at home in no time! Filled with 10 different vegetables along with ground turkey – you will love every bite and it will taste just like the restaurant version!

Another Panera soup folks love is the Mexican Street Corn Chowder!

Thai Chicken Soup

This Panera Bread Thai Chicken Soup copycat recipe is the perfect soup for the cold weather! It’s a delicious mix of flavors full of chicken, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, red bell peppers and edamame simmered in a rich, Thai yellow curry spicy-sweet coconut broth. Plus – it’s a little spicy – so it clears the sinuses too!

MAKE A DOUBLE BATCH OF THIS ONE – TRUST ME!

Previously the Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup was removed as well.