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Grilled Chicken Avocado Melt taken with iphone 15 pro max --iw 2 --ar 4:5 --v 6.0 --raw

Copycat Panera Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt Recipe

A spot on Panera copycat for the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt that is super simple, cheaper to make at home, and absolutely DELICIOUS!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 16 minutes
Servings 4 sandwiches
Calories 634 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet
  • 1 Small mixing bowl

Ingredients
  

Main ingredients

  • 2 flat loaves of focaccia bread garlic herb if you like things bold and fragrant
  • 6 oz shredded rotisserie chicken already cooked and tender
  • 1 ripe avocado sliced perfect for creamy layers inside your melt
  • 0.25 cup mayo the glue for your chicken mix that adds richness
  • 6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce chopped finely for heat and smoky flavor
  • 0.25 cup chopped cilantro fresh and bright to cut the heat a bit
  • 0.25 cup chopped Peppadew peppers sweet and hot cherry peppers work kinda similar
  • 4 oz sliced gouda cheese melty and mild, the base for every good melt
  • 2 tablespoon water to add just a tiny bit of moisture for your chicken mix if it’s looking dry
  • Olive oil for brushing the outside of the sandwich before grilling, adds a nice crisp crust

Instructions
 

Instructions

  • Preheat your grill or grill pan over medium heat so it’s ready when you are. No waiting around!
  • Next, grab a mixing bowl and toss together your shredded chicken, mayo, chopped chipotle peppers, cilantro, and those sweet Peppadew peppers. If it looks a little dry, splash in that 2 tablespoons of water.
  • Spread that spicy chicken mixture on the bottom halves of your focaccia loaves evenly. Don’t be stingy, you want every bite to hit with flavor.
  • Now layer your avocado slices gently over the chicken, then pile on that melty gouda cheese. This combo’s what makes your melt sing.
  • Put the top halves of the focaccia loaves right over your filling, pressing down just a bit. Then lightly brush olive oil all over the outside of each sandwich.
  • Grill those babies for 5 minutes on each side or until the bread turns golden brown and the cheese melts perfectly gooey. When they’re done, slice and serve warm. Time to enjoy!

Notes

Brush the avocado slices with lemon juice so they don't brown by lunchtime! Adjust the salt and seasoning in the chipotle sauce.