As the season changes from blazing summer heat to cool fall breezes rustling the falling leaves, Panera Bread® is celebrating with menu additions utilizing fall’s best aspects. Panera Bread is also featuring comfort food to keep you warm as the season’s weather gets chilly again.
Panera’s Orchard Harvest Chicken Salad
Panera’s Orchard Harvest Chicken Salad represents a cornucopia of fall’s bounty. The Orchard Harvest Chicken Salad features fresh d’Anjou pears, dried cherries, gorgonzola cheese and toasted pecans on a bed of crisp field greens and romaine lettuce. Each salad is hand-tossed in a sweet cherry balsamic vinaigrette.
According to Dan Kish, Panera’s head chef, “We couple juicy pear slices, selected at their peak ripeness, with the strong, robust flavor of gorgonzola in each bite. The crunchiness of the toasted pecans completes the salad, adding to its textural complexity.”
Pumpkin Spice Latte Returns
Autumn is also synonymous with pumpkin harvests. To commemorate that beautiful aspect of fall, the Panera’s Pumpkin Spice Latte has returned. According to Kish, “Pumpkin is such a versatile ingredient and has such a unique flavor that it can easily transition between savory and sweet.” The Pumpkin Spice Latte is made with espresso, foamed milk and pumpkin spices, topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. It can be enjoyed on its own or paired with Panera’s whimsical Pumpkin Cookie, made from pumpkin-shaped shortbread and accented with orange icing and colorful sanding sugar.
Speaking of cookies, make sure to try the latest addition to the Panera Bread bakery case – a traditional sugar cookie made with M&M® milk chocolate candies. These cookies are sure to be a favorite with kids and grown-ups alike.
Fall Pairing
The menu item Kish especially recommends for fall is the pairing of its signature Mac & Cheese with the Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich. The Mac & Cheese features shell pasta enrobed in a blend of white cheddars, including natural Vermont White Cheddar, resulting in just the right combination of sharpness and creaminess. The sandwich stacks smoked turkey, Applewood-smoked bacon, smoked Gouda, lettuce, tomatoes and a signature spread on freshly-baked Tomato Basil bread.
Panera’s Mac & Cheese is tried and tested to ensure its quality. Over the course of the Mac & Cheese two-year recipe development process, Kish used his very own focus group – his family. The former associate dean at the Culinary Institute of America shared more than 15 different recipes with his wife and three kids — and judged the success of each recipe by the emptiness of their bowls.
About Panera Bread
Panera Bread Company, which has become a favorite neighborhood spot for friends and families to gather, owns and franchises 1,399 bakery-cafes as of June 29, 2010 under the Panera Bread®, Saint Louis Bread Co.®, and Paradise Bakery & Café® names. With their identity rooted in handcrafted, fresh-baked, artisan bread, they are committed to providing great tasting, quality food that people can trust.
Healthy Too!
Nearly all of their bakery-cafes have a menu highlighted by antibiotic free chicken, whole grain bread, select organic and all-natural ingredients, with zero grams of artificial trans fat per serving, which provide flavorful, wholesome offerings.
Their menu includes a wide variety of year-round favorites, complemented by new items introduced seasonally with the goal of creating new standards in everyday food choices. In neighborhoods across this country and in Ontario, Canada, their customers enjoy their warm and welcoming environment featuring comfortable gathering areas, relaxing decor, and free internet access! It’s a favorite spot to bring your laptop and get some relaxed work done!
Their bakery-cafes routinely donate bread and baked goods to community organizations in need.
Additional information is available on the Company’s website, www.panerabread.com.
