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Bacon Turkey Bravo Panini

Not pictured: drooling husband.

One of the great mysteries of life is why Eugene STILL does not have a Panera. I feel confident that it's only a matter of time. But in the meantime, I decided to fulfill my craving for a Turkey Bacon Bravo without necessitating a road trip. And turning it into a panini just seemed like a good idea, because why have gouda cold when you can melt it?

I've been obsessed with the Turkey Bacon Bravo since before Panera was called Panera. (It'll always be St. Louis Bread Company in my heart.) Even through my various periods of vegetarianism, any time I found myself at a Panera, I made the exception and had turkey and bacon. 

One concern I had in the recreation process was the bread. It's supposed to be on this deliciously sweet tomato basil bread, and I couldn't find anything like that at the store. So I decided to put the tomato-basil flavor inside the sandwich instead, by sprinkling basil (and sea salt) on my tomato slices before putting them in the sandwich.

Amazing tomatoes from the garden help, too.

For the dressing, I found this recipe. I tasted it before putting it on the sandwich to make sure it was good, and guess what? It tastes like the sandwich! I had always attributed the deliciousness of the sandwich to the bread, the bacon, and the cheese. I didn't realize how important the sauce was.

We will be having this again.


The Recipe: (makes 2 sandwiches)
2 servings focaccia or other grill-worthy rolls/bread
1/4 lb cold-cut turkey
4 slices smoked gouda
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp
1 small tomato, sliced
pinch dried basil (or fresh if you have it!)
pinch sea salt
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c ketchup
1/2 tb lemon juice
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
dash hot sauce
  • Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce in bowl.
  • Sprinkle tomato slices with basil and sea salt.
  • Assemble sandwiches on bread. (I did bread, half of the cheese, turkey, bacon, tomatoes, sauce, the other half of the cheese, then bread.)
  • Grill on low in a panini press until bread is crispy and cheese is melted.

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A
Overall reason: Amazing flavor. Not healthy enough for an A+.
Time to prepare: 10 minutes if the bacon is already cooked.
Husband quote: "This is tasty. After I eat mine, I'm going to eat yours. Hey, what's the cat doing out there?" (Tries to grab my sandwich.)


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