I’ve developed a bit of a grievance with frittatas. After too many bridal and baby showers, I’ve tasted more than my fair share of pale, sadly stylish slices. Pair that with mimosas and the obligatory small talk, and it’s easy to grow irrationally irritated by egg dishes.
Relax, there was no rage (or stiff chit-chat) during my tasting of Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar and Five Cheese & Bacon Frittatas, which were part of Panera’s limited summer menu rollout. And it seems people actually like these—I reached Panera before 9AM and grabbed the last portions of each variety. Do keep in mind they first appeared back in June. The novelty may have worn off. Still, people are probably enjoying Panera frittatas, in a fairly contented, non-boozy way. So, what did we make of them?
Our Thoughts
Pros: The texture ideal for a frittata—indeed for a quiche as well: firm enough to hold a clean slice, yet creamy enough to evoke just-right moisture, like velvety scrambled eggs. Both the Broccoli Cheddar and Five Cheese & Bacon stayed pleasantly creamy (perhaps because, despite the name, they share the same five-cheese blend: cheddar, parmesan, asiago, Romano, and Neufchâtel). Flavor profiles were balanced and more layered than I anticipated. The Five Cheese & Bacon carried a noticeable bacon note—without tipping into dominance.
I actually found the Broccoli Cheddar’s flavor to be the more captivating of the two. A faint char on the broccoli on the first bite seemed to deepen the overall wow factor.
Cons: In the enrich department: it’s a bit over-salted. And fatty. You’ll hear me say this often in the realm of rich egg dishes, especially when they’re loaded with a hefty cheese lineup and wood-smoked bacon. Yet the salt unsettles the balance and undermines the creaminess. There’s so much fat that both the napkin and the brown Panera bag ended up slick with grease.
Our Verdict
It’s simply too much salt and fat. Even though Panera’s culinary team does a surprisingly good job concealing the salt, it still sneaks up on you. Each frittata starts off well, but by around halfway through, the saltiness and greasiness become hard to ignore. A few straightforward fixes come to mind: cut back on the fire-roasted broccoli’s cheese load, any dish built with five separate cheeses or cheese blends probably doesn’t need such heavy salting, and bacon ought to carry the salt weight on its own for a more balanced bite. In short, these aren’t breakfast staples you’d want to rely on every morning.
