Review: Panera Warm Grain Bowl – Are the Panera Warm Grain Bowls good?
What is in the Panera Grain Bowl?
Panera’s Mediterranean grain bowl has arugula and I liked the addition of the greens to it. I’ll say – the Med was my favorite of the two – it’s why I made it first! I loved the hummus in with the chicken. Their chicken didn’t have much flavor but it wasn’t dry – which was nice. I love all the ingredients in the Baja bowl – but it just didn’t have as much flavor as the Med. (I’m remaking the Baja bowl next week!) I’m not a fan of brown rice and quinoa – but it was fine in these bowls – there’s enough other ingredients to cover the blandness of brown rice and quinoa. (haha)
What are the ingredients in the Panera Mediterranean Warm Grain Bowl?
The Panera Mediterranean Warm Grain Bowl really has all of my favorites. The hummus they used is a plain “regular” hummus – I had some roasted red pepper in my fridge so I used that – just as delicious.
Another tip for this – I didn’t want to cook brown rice and quinoa – takes too long. Turns out they have some in the freezer aisle! I got a bag of frozen and it heated up in less than 5 minutes in the microwave. Or Minute Rice sells a brown rice and quinoa in little cups as well that heat up in a minute.
Panera Copycat Recipes & Other Favorites
My review of the Panera Broth Bowls is one of my most viewed pages so then I recreated them at home. The broth bowls and grain bowls are so healthy – you can even splurge a little on these copycat Chinese Buffet donuts!
Copycat Panera Warm Grain Bowl
ingredients:
- 2 cups arugula (or spinach)
- 2 cups cooked brown rice and quinoa (found in frozen section!)
- 2 chicken breasts
- lemon/garlic marinade (My favorite!)
- 10 grape tomatoes, sliced
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives
- 1/2 cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup hummus
- 1/3 cup feta crumbles
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup tahini dressing (optional)
instructions:
How to cook Copycat Panera Warm Grain Bowl
- Marinate chicken breasts in your favorite citrus/garlic marinade overnight.
- Bake chicken breasts for 20 minutes at 350 until cooked to 165 degrees.
- During last ten minutes of baking, microwave frozen rice/quinoa for 4 minutes in a microwave safe bowl.
- In two large serving bowls, place arugula around edge of bowl.
- Prep veggies: slice tomatoes and dice cucumbers
- When quinoa is cooked, divide between two serving bowls
- Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5 minutes
- Top quinoa/argula with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives
- Slice chicken and place on top of quinoa.
- Add a heaping spoonful of hummus and yogurt to the bowl
- Top with crumbled feta and squeeze lemon over warm grain bowl
- If you like, you can add a tahini dressing – it really doesn’t need it.
NOTES:
– For the brown rice/quinoa – you can either use a bag of frozen rice/quinoa or Minute Rice makes a microwavable one! Super quick!
– Tahini dressing is expensive and not easy to find – I found that it wasn’t necessary with the yogurt and hummus – and when I tried the Panera version – I didn’t even taste it!
– Arugula is lighter than spinach but a little bitter – I found a mix of the two at the store that was really good
Thank you for the tips, this bowl is def a must make at my house.
I made this and it was delicious. You can have it with or without the chicken. Easy and quick too!
Ugh. This is SO GOOD. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you liked it!!!
Glad you love it!! I do too!
I tried this at Panera today for the first time. SO GOOD! I immediately googled and found this recipe . I cant wait to make it myself.
That's awesome – youll love it!
microwave?whats to point of creating a "recipe." might as well just go out and buy from panera.
Yes – I microwaved rice. Sue me. Feel free to boil water and make rice in a pan if it makes you feel like Martha Stewart.
Thanks for the recipe; looking forward to trying it.
Lol…it never ceases to amaze me, the level of argumentative attitudes people post with online. So microwaving the rice just completely negates the fact that she created the ENTIRE rest of the recipe from scratch – including the marination of the chicken – but because of the rice she may as well have gone to Panera? Lol…I usually don’t engage but this was just too asinine to ignore.
Made the Mediterranian one for dinner tonight. WAY more than my son and I could eat in one sitting but it was delicous. At least as good as the one from Panera itself. Definitely will make it again but cut the recipe in half. Yum!!!
Hahahaha! I love your reply to that ridiculous comment. Go, Food Hussy!
I work at Panera and The Mediterranean Grain Bowl is one of my all time faves!! Can't wait to try this recipe!!
Thanks for the recipe! Turned out great. The only thing I did different was that I just replaced the Greek yogurt with sour cream and I had to fry the chicken instead. Tasted almost exactly the same as the original. Kudos! Ended up with a lot of food though haha
How many servings does this make?
At least two – but it could easily be more if you have smaller portions!
This turned out so good. I did mine w/o chicken and made homemade hummus. I wish I could share my picture with you.
Cant wait to try this
turned out amazing, and im obsessed with the panera one. i didn’t bake chicken instead i sautéed in a pan and had to use sour cream but was absolutely delicious. thanks
Glad you loved it!!!!
Thanks for taking the time to put together this great recipe.