Copycat Panera Bread Steak & White Cheddar Panini

Do you love the Panera Bread Steak & White Cheddar Panini? You can make it at home. Pickled purple onions are the secret ingredient to this delicious Panera Bread menu item.

Copycat Panera steak and white cheddar panini sandwich.


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Steak and Cheese Panini

When you go to Panera Bread what are some of your favorite menu items? One of my hands-down is the Steak and White Cheddar Panini.

The pickled onions on this sandwich make it unique. It is super easy to make pickled onions at home. They can be used on all sorts of sandwiches or they can be eaten with your favorite meal.

Ingredients

This sandwich is made from ingredients you are going to find at your local grocery store.

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Red onions
  • White vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Water
  • Ciabatta bread
  • Horseradish sauce
  • Sliced roast beef
  • White Cheddar cheese
  • Cooking spray for pan
Copycat Panera steak and white cheddar panini ingredients on a marble surface.

How to Make Panera Steak and White Cheddar Panini

  1. Slice onions as thin as possible.
  2. Place the onions in a glass jar.
  3. In a small bowl, combine white vinegar, sugar, salt, and warm water. Stir until dissolved.
  4. Pour liquid into the jar with onions. Allow onions to pickle for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Cut the ciabatta loaf in half horizontally.
  6. Spread the horseradish sauce onto the inside of the top half.
  7. Place roast beef on the bottom half.
  8. Place pickled onions and cheese on top of the roast beef.
  9. Place the top half on the sandwich.
  10. Lightly coat the inside of a panini press with cooking spray and heat the press.
  11. Place the sandwich in the press and cook until the sandwich is heated through and the cheese has melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.

If you do not have a panini press, you can use a grill pan and a heavy object to press the sandwich into the pan.

Copycat Panera steak and white cheddar panini sandwich on a wood board.

How to Make Pickled Red Onions

Pickled red onions take almost 2 minutes to make, and they can be used in oh so many ways. You can enjoy these as a side with grilled meats, on sandwiches, or even in the place of pickles.

I like to slice my onions on a mandolin, but you can use a knife to slice a red onion super thin. Then you will need some vinegar, water, and spices.

You literally combine all of these and let them rest for about 15 minutes before you serve them. They taste better with age, so you may even want to keep these on hand all of the time.

Copycat Panera Bread steak and white cheddar panini sandwich.

Can’t get enough of Panera Bread? Try these copycat recipes!

Favorite Sandwich Recipes

Check out more of my easy sandwich recipes and the best Panera Bread recipes here on CopyKat!

Copycat Panera steak and white cheddar panini sandwich.

Panera Bread Steak & White Cheddar Panini

Enjoy Panera Bread Steak & White Cheddar Panini, even more, when you make one at home. 
4.88 from 8 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Panera Bread Recipes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 916kcal

Ingredients

Pickled Red Onions

  • 1 cup sliced red onions (thinly sliced)
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup warm water

Sandwich Ingredients

  • 1 loaf ciabatta bread
  • 2 tablespoons pickled red onions
  • 2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
  • 6 ounces sliced roast beef
  • 4 slices white Cheddar cheese
  • cooking spray for pan

Instructions

Pickled White Onions

  • Slice onions as thin as possible, I like to use the 1/8 inch setting on my mandolin. Place the onions in a glass jar. In a small bowl combine white vinegar, sugar, salt, and warm water. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour liquid into the jar with onions. These should rest about 30 minutes for using.

Sandwich instructions

  • Split the ciabatta loaf open, spread the horseradish sauce onto the top inside of the split loaf. Add roast beef to the bottom. Add the pickled onions, and cheese.
  • Place the sandwich in the press, and cook about 3 minutes or until the sandwich is heated through.
  • Heat the Panini press. If you do not have a panini press you may want to use a grill pan, and a heavy object to press the sandwich into the pan. Some people like to wrap a brick with foil and use this as a press.

Nutrition

Calories: 916kcal | Carbohydrates: 121g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 4548mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 47.9mg | Calcium: 669mg | Iron: 2.3mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Chris

      The total amount of sodium probably includes the salt used to pickle the onions. Obviously all of this salt is not included in one sandwich so, like you, I suspect the sodium calculation is incorrect.

      • Stephanie

        Yes Chris, the sodium involved in pickling threw the sodium off. I don’t know how to account for the actual final sodium intake at this time.

  1. JANE J. LANLENSHIP

    4 stars
    These pickled onions are great. You stated they would get better with time & I’m certain they will. Am looking forward to including them in other dishes/salads/sandwiches.

  2. Backliner

    5 stars
    I will definitely try this recipe! It looks so good. I will make a big jar of pickled onions and use it for other dishes.

4.88 from 8 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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