Panera Copycat Fontina Grilled Cheese Recipe

In recipe developer Deniz Vergara's opinion, "A simple grilled cheese is always delicious." But such a sandwich can be even better if you make a few tweaks to the basic recipe. While you could opt to add pickles to your grilled cheese or put a spin on the classic grilled cheese by piling on ingredients like avocado, bacon, mushrooms, and tomatoes, Vergara is sticking with an all-cheese format here in a recipe that's meant to be a copycat of the fontina grilled cheese sandwich Panera once had on its menu. As Vergara says, "This grilled cheese steps it up to another level of deliciousness."

She raves about the combination of three cheeses: the "creamy and nutty" fontina and the "sharp and tangy" provolone, plus a garlic and herb-flavored cheese spread. Together with the pan-grilled bread, it's a sandwich Vergara describes as "buttery and crispy on the outside and creamy and gooey on the inside."

This recipe calls for three cheeses: fontina, provolone, and Boursin (Vergara favors the garlic and fine herbs flavor). To make the sandwich, you'll also need white bread and butter.

Spread the Boursin on both slices of bread.

Top one of the pieces of bread with the cheese slices, putting the provolone in the middle of the fontina. Place the second slice of bread, Boursin-side down, on top of the cheese.

Melt ½ tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.

Place the sandwich in the pan and cook until light golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Spread the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter on the top piece of bread, flip the sandwich, and cook until golden brown and the cheese is melted, another 4 minutes.

Slice diagonally and serve immediately.

Panera's elevated grilled cheese is a long-discontinued menu item, so Vergara no longer has access to a list of the ingredients. As she tells us, "In doing some research, it seems as though it was made with fontina, Gruyère, and cheddar with an herbed cheese spread on the inside." The chain's website does provide a recipe for a similar-sounding Grown-Up Grilled Cheese sandwich that is made with the three cheeses she names, although this recipe does not include spreadable cheese.

Vergara admits that this sandwich isn't an exact duplicate of Panera's, telling us "I decided to keep it a little simpler, with less ingredients, by combining creamy and nutty fontina with sharp and tangy provolone for contrast." She omits both cheddar and Gruyère but uses Boursin cheese as a spread to add some extra flavor. Even if her recipe differs from the bread chain's own fontina grilled cheese, Vergara says "I think this version is delicious and I think I prefer this combination of cheeses."

Vergara says of the fontina grilled cheese sandwich, "I think this is a perfect lunch." The reason for this, she explains, is because it's "super satisfying" and "quick and easy to make." This grilled cheese would also make for a great mid-morning or afternoon snack, and could serve as a light supper. Of course, the supper (or lunch or snack) need not be so light if you pair the grilled cheese sandwich with a partner.

Vergara tells us "I like to have this [sandwich] alongside a nice green salad or a soup." Tomato soup is often served alongside grilled cheese sandwiches, but a soup like black bean would work, too. Vergara notes that the sandwich can also be matched up with a diner-style side such as french fries, while a bag of potato chips would make for an effort-free accompaniment.