Panera Bacon Turkey Bravo

Why This is the Best Bacon Turkey Bravo

• Each piece of the sandwich nails the flavor for a bang-on replica. From the homemade tomato basil bread to the secret sauce, this sandwich will delight your tastebuds and save you the trip to Panera!
• A quick and easy sandwich to assemble.  You don’t have to make the tomato bread to have a fantastic bacon turkey bravo. This sandwich is also awesome with thick slices of no knead sourdough bread, multigrain bread, oatmeal bread or even pumpernickel bread! It is also exceptional on toasted slices of whole wheat sourdough bread.
• A sauce that is finger-licking good! A simple sauce made by whisking together ingredients you probably already have on hand. Make double for dipping a baked blooming onion or for easy omelet roll-ups.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• For the Dressing:
• Mayonnaise: I do recommend using real mayonnaise for this recipe but you could use light mayo if you prefer.
• Ketchup
• Lemon Juice: Fresh squeezed lemon juice will make a huge impact in the secret sauce. It is worth the extra effort.
• Ground Mustard: This means powdered ground mustard not prepared mustard! It is often a secret ingredient and adds a complexity to sauces and even baked mac and cheese!
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Hot Sauce (optional)

• For the Sandwiches:
• Tomato: Choose vine-ripened tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes if they are in season! Fresh ingredients will make this sandwich sensational!
• Lettuce Leaves: Use romaine, iceberg lettuce or Boston Bibb lettuce.
• Bacon: Thick cut bacon would be exceptionally tasty but use whatever is easiest for you! I love mine extra crispy!
• Deli Turkey
• Smoked Gouda Cheese
• Tomato Basil Bread

See the recipe card for quantities.

Possible Variations

• Bake it into a loaf pan: I baked my bread in a round loaf but I also include instructions to shape and bake it in a loaf pan for more uniform sandwiches.
• Swap out the bread. If you don’t want to make the homemade tomato basil bread and are feeling like leaning in a healthier direction, you could serve this same sandwich on toasted slices of whole wheat sourdough bread or whole wheat bread! If you are all about the soft sandwich bread life, try my brioche loaf or sandwich bread recipe.
• Swap out some components to your taste. The best thing about making a sandwich at home is that you get to customize it without reservations! Try sliced chicken breast or roasted turkey breast rather than deli-sliced. Add pickles or try out different cheeses to see which is best.
• Make it a panini. Heat it up in a pan with a little butter like a grilled cheese and another pan on top for a weight or use a panini press or countertop grill if you have one. The panini variation would be exquisite with my sourdough focaccia recipe!

How to Make a Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich

Instructions don’t get easier than this! See the recipe card for specific measurements and more details.

Step 1: Make the dressing by whisking mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice, ground mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium mixing bowl. Add hot sauce to taste, if desired.

This can be made up to 3 days in advance, or up to 3 weeks if you don’t add the lemon juice. Store in the refrigerator in a clean, airtight container.

Step 2: Prepare sandwich toppings by cooking and cooling bacon to your crispiness preference; rinsing and patting dry lettuce leaves; and slicing the tomato.

Step 3: Slice the loaf into 1/2-inch thick slices. Spread dressing on one side of each of the 8 bread slices.

You can lay the slices out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy assembly and clean up.

Step 4: Assemble sandwiches by layering tomato slices, lettuce, bacon, turkey and Gouda cheese.

In summary: Make the bread, spread on the sauce, pile on high the toppings, take a bite, go to Sandwich Heaven. It’s not science — it’s just the formula to living life right.

How do you store turkey bacon bravo sandwiches?

I recommend storing all the components of the sandwich separately and assembling right before serving.

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this delicious sandwich recipe. Check out all our lunch and dinner recipes for more flavorful inspiration!