Reader Review: New! Roast Turkey Artichoke Panini from Panera

Posted September 18th, 2011 | 5:01pm by Ryan

Let me start off by saying I am a huge fan of Panera and my favorite sandwich is the Sierra Turkey and my second favorite was the now discontinued Turkey Artichoke Panini. About a week ago I received an email from Panera that excited me, a new Roast Turkey Artichoke Panini made on the Asiago Cheese Focaccia, the same bread used in Panera’s Sierra Turkey. How could Panera go wrong combining my two favorite sandwiches?

Panera description of the Roast Turkey Artichoke Panini:

All-natural roasted turkey, artichoke-parmesan spread, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions and fresh baby spinach, all grilled on our Asiago Cheese Focaccia

The turkey used in the new Roast Turkey Artichoke Panini is completely different from the turkey in the now discontinued Turkey Artichoke Panini. The turkey in this panini is more like carved turkey that you would get at Thanksgiving time. The turkey in the previous sandwich was sliced and more like cold cut turkey you would find in the super market deli. The turkey had a good flavor and was tender and not tough like carved turkey can be sometimes. The artichoke spread has also changed significantly. The artichoke spread has more of a mayonnaise consistency and less runny than the previous artichoke spread. One of my main complaints with the previous spread was that it was runny and made the bottom of the bread soggy making it a complete mess to eat. That is no longer a problem with the new artichoke spread. Taste-wise though, I preferred the previous spread.

The roasted red peppers and onions added a nice touch to the overall flavor. There were a lot of onions, which I personally like, but they were not too strong and didn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients. Now to the most important part, the Asiago Cheese Focaccia bread. The Asiago Cheese Focaccia bread was a good addition to the panini, but overall a bit of a disappointment because the bread loses some of its flavor when it’s grilled. The Asiago cheese flavor just doesn’t come through as strongly as it does in the Sierra Turkey sandwich.

Overall I would have to call it a draw between the new Roast Turkey Artichoke Panini and the now discontinued Turkey Artichoke Panini. Both paninis had their pluses and minuses. The artichoke spread on the new panini has a better consistency, but doesn’t taste as good as the previous spread. The Asiago Cheese Focaccia although a good addition is a disappointment when compared to the Sierra Turkey sandwich. Overall I would give the new Roast Turkey Artichoke Panini a 7.50 out of 10. If you like Panera and looking to try something new you should definitely give the new Roast Turkey Artichoke Panini a try.