Archive
Jun 20, 2023

Review: Panera - Black Forest Ham & Gouda Melt

Panera Black Forest Ham & Gouda Melt top-down view with quarter for size comparison.

Panera's Black Forest Ham & Gouda Melt features Black Forest ham, new country mustard, smoked gouda, and arugula on a toasted baguette. 

I bought one for $11.69.

The sandwich was fairly large at around 10-inches in length.

The baguette was very nicely toasted with a crispy, crackly crust and chewy, soft interior that gave off a warm, rustic aroma. The bread turned out a noticeably better than when they offered paninis.

Inside the bread was a light spread of country mustard, a thin layering of ham, and an uneven smattering of Gouda. They forgot the arugula but I imagine it would have wilted quite a bit from the heat of the sandwich (leafy greens have already struck me as an odd addition to a melt). Still, the peppery, slightly bitter flavor might have been nice.

The ham was meaty and salty with a slight bit of sweetness to it. The sandwich included just enough to cover each bite but not much more than that.

The country mustard offered up a creamy mustard with a mild horseradish-like flavor and a subtle sweetness.

The Gouda tasted rich and creamy when I picked a piece out of the sandwich but struggled mightily when eaten as a part of the sandwich as there just wasn't much to go around.

Overall, Panera's Black Forest Ham & Gouda Melt was rather tasty and filling from a ham-and-cheese sandwich perspective but probably needs twice the cheese to make for a good melt. The toasted baguette was especially nice.

Nutritional Info - Panera Black Forest Ham & Gouda Melt
Calories - 960 (from Fat - 270)
Fat - 31g (Saturated Fat - 16g)
Sodium - 2920mg
Carbs - 119g (Sugar - 8g)
Protein - 52g

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for commenting. If it helps any, you don't need to type a URL to leave a name.