Panera Bread Offers New Steak Dishes and Lenten Treats

recently introduced three new sirloin steak menu items. These combinations, each with a uniquely Panera twist, feature choice-grade cuts of sirloin steak and include a Steak & White Cheddar Panini, a Steak & Egg Breakfast Sandwich, and a Steak & Blue Cheese Chopped Salad.

Also being featured for spring are a Low-Fat Mango Smoothie, Strawberry Hot Cross Buns and Easter Egg Cookies and Petites.

The Steak & White Cheddar Panini is the newest addition to Panera’s Panini line up, uniting a pairing of steak, onions and cheese. This sandwich combines sirloin steak layered with caramelized onions, Vermont white cheddar cheese and creamy horseradish sauce, and is served grilled on a freshly baked French baguette.

The new Steak & Egg Breakfast Sandwich is the latest breakfast sandwich on Panera’s morning menu, with strips of sirloin steak, Vermont white cheddar cheese, and an all-natural egg.

Expanding its chopped salad offerings, Panera’s new Steak & Blue Cheese Salad is made with fresh chopped romaine lettuce, crunchy onion strips, tomatoes, and generous chunks of sharp Gorgonzola, all tossed with blue cheese vinaigrette. The fourth addition to Panera’s chopped salad line-up, this new salad is topped with strips of tender sirloin steak and drizzled with a cabernet reduction. 

Panera is also featuring a Low-Fat Mango Smoothie blended with organic vanilla Stonyfield Farm yogurt. It weighs in at 230 calories and, provides 100 percent daily value of vitamins B6 and B12, and contains no high-fructose corn syrup.

A beloved Lenten tradition, Hot Cross Buns will continue to be available at Panera from Fridays through Sundays, March 11 to April 10, 2011 and everyday from April 15 to 24, 2011. Panera’s Strawberry Hot Cross Buns, made with soft egg bread, orange zest, and topped with a cross of sweet icing, include dried strawberries for an inventive twist on the original recipe. 

Also new to the bakery case for a limited time are Easter Egg Cookies and Petites. The Easter Egg Cookie is a festive, egg-shaped shortbread cookie topped with yellow icing and pink sugar. The Petites are mini shortbread cookies, also topped with yellow icing and pink sugar, but packaged in bundles of six with colorful jelly beans and tied with a ribbon. These sweet treats are only available until April 24, 2011.