 Devna Shukla is a Production Assistant for CNN's AC360° Okay, I admit it. I'm not a so-called "foodie." I often have to Google terms such as "eau de vie" and "varak" while watching cooking shows. I'd rather have French fries over foie gras and a bowl of cereal over ceviche. Moving from Los Angeles to New York last year, I thought I might have a shot at becoming a real foodie. With some of the best restaurants in the world easily accessible, I was excited to explore the culinary and culture world that is New York dining. Sadly, my quest took a sharp detour. After having lunch at one of the most esteemed restaurants in New York, I found myself extremely sick and plagued by stomach issues. Through all the missed eating opportunities and doctors visits, I’ve found a newfound appreciation for an American classic: the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I've found that I’m not alone in my appreciation and borderline obsession with peanut butter and jelly. Two other AC360 colleagues and I are now in a PB&J Club, secretly supporting each other and our love for this sandwich. PB&J embodies what I love about food. Two people can have an appreciation for the same item - like a sandwich - yet have their own unique spins to it. Do you put peanut butter on both slices of bread? Only on one side? Do you cut the crust off or like your bread toasted? The variations of this classic are endless. Thanks to New York, I’ve taken my peanut butter and jelly to a new level. I’ve experimented with different jams (fresh raspberry is delicious!) and have tried a variety of delicious, fresh, locally produced peanut butters (including almond!) Maybe I'll never be a true food connoisseur, [Editor's note: we'd argue that she clearly is one already -- at least in our book] and maybe I'll eventually grow out of my peanut butter and jelly phase. In the meantime, I look forward to pushing the boundaries of one of the most classic sandwiches of all time - and my next PB&J. |
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"Can PB Find The Jelly?" A new and great childrens book...available now at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Books A Million websites. Word is out that kids are lovin it. Check it out and tell your friends about it.
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Brian from Queens had me drooling as he captured the makings of the classic PB&J. Thanks for taking me down memory lane. Gotta get me the makings for some nostalgic sandwiches!
Don't forget about the light environmental footprint of the PB&J! Our group, the PB&J Campaign, uses the classic sandwich as the 'mascot' to show people the impact of eating a plant-based meal.
Bernard Brown
http://www.pbjcampaign.org
Peanut butter (trader joe's organic, please.. no added nastiness for me), an all-fruit jelly, sliced banana, nutella, and some homemade marshmallow fluff.
Peanut butter on one bread, chocolate jam on the other bread. Both crusts on. Sip hot Earl Gray tea in between bites. Yum!
I prefer apple jelly on my PB&J.
Love PB&J but hate it when it gets soggy? Here's the solution for the perfect PB&J:
1) Spread peanut butter on BOTH slices of bread all the way to the edges and all the way around. Make sure it covers all the bread with no gaps in the middle. It needs to be realtively thick.
2) Place a healthy big glob of jelly in the middle of one slice and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edges
3) place the other piece of bread on top and "seal" them together with the peanut butter on each side ensuring no jelly escapes.
Voila! No soggy bread from the jelly, and perfect PB&J flavor.
Usually it's one PB&J after hard workouts in the morning and two for lunch...then I have PB on low-sodium Ritz with Honey drizzled on each as an appetizer while making dinner.... Always organic – sometimes a little chunky, sometimes a bit more smooth. I laugh at people that say it's not healthy for you!! It's my main source of fat intake as an endurance athlete. I go through several jars a week and don't plan on stopping. I'm having a love affair and his name is peanut butter and jelly... just don't tell my fiance.
My daughter just had to have her PB&J sandwiches (made just so) every day for lunch; and, like alot of moms, I commented that some day she'd turn into one. Darned if I didn't come across an absolutely hysterical poem about a little girl who does just that! If you want to read something funny, check out "Sandwich Sister" in Suzie Bitner Was Afraid of the Drain. It probably won't cure any PB&J addictions, but it's definitely something sandwich lovers will relate to. :)
I've been having PB& J since I was about 10 years, and except for certain time periods in my life (such as college and summer camp), I've eating it at least, 5 times a week for lunch, and sometimes, 6 times in a week. I do make a "healthy" version of it, though. I use whole wheat bread, freshly grounded peanut butter (although with the price of that on the rise, I don't know how much longer I can keep that up) and to drink, I have fat-free milk. The only thing "bad" ingredient is the sugar in the jam that I use ("preserves" to be more exact). It's a delicious and a "no-brainer" form of eating each day. I don't have to decide each day, "Hmmmmm. What am I going to have for lunch today?" ;)
I've become something of a purist with peanut butter. Only the natural stuff, no hydrogenated fats.
After that, anything goes. Slice up a fresh baked crusty loaf, thick layer of PB on one side, and any of a variety of jams. Served still-warm from the oven on a crisp autumn or winter afternoon with a hot cup of coffee topped with a scoop of chocolate ice cream, it would be difficult tell the difference between that and Heaven's foyerway.
Its amazing how difficult it is to get a PB&J sandwich in a sandwich restaurant. There's only one here in the DFW area that I know of, and it only serves PB banana and honey. It's good, but not as good as miine.
1.Crusts on, slightly toasted, PBJ on both sides, raisins, lightly sprinkled with cinnamon. Sometimes add a few Lays chips.
2. Mix cream cheese and PBJ untill smooth. Spread on slightly toasted bread that has been cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. A hit a my son's birthday party.
While not sandwiches, I like PB with syrup on pancakes or waffles. You can also mix PB with Sugar Cane syrup (or maple, if you are a Yank) on a plate and then dip hot homemade biscuits in it. <- Dessert in the deep south.
Crusts on, PB on one side & jelly – Dad
Crusts on, sunflower butter on both sides & jam – Mom
Crusts on, just jelly – child # 1
Crusts off, sunflower butter on both sides – child # 2
Child # 3 is too young to eat, but his personality tells me he will eat it any way it is served
bread, layer of peanut butter, bread, layer of jelly, bread. Triple decker PBJ!
PB and honey, grilled.
I like to make "sushi" snacks for kids by putting the PB&J on a tortilla – flour or whole wheat (actually, corn might be good too) – then adding a banana, rolling and slicing. They love it! And so do I...
I know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow: a grilled, organic pb & strawberry jelly on whole wheat. This will be my first grilled pb&j, thanks to all these fabulous comments! Next on the list to try: pb&j with potato chips.
I too share your obsession with PB&J's. I enjoy mine on crusted wheat bread with all-natural peanut butter on one side, and spreadable raspberry or strawberry fruit (akin to jam) on the other. People often marvel at the density of my sandwiches. Some call them "disgusting," I say they have character.
The best way is a toasted English muffin, lightly buttered with PB on one side and strawberry preserves on the other! YUMMM!!!!
peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwiches..... MMMMmmmmMMMmmm
I am a fan of the smooth pb no j foldover on wheat. Perfect ratio of PB to bread.
This topic is so refreshing! I love, love, love PB and Nutella .... phew, need to run to the kitchen. :o)
PB&J is great, but I'll admit, I never thought about "pushing the envelope" on this American Classic until reading this article. I like a lot of the comments in here with their suggestions for various toppings and bread types, and I can say that you have all inspired me to experiment!
Two different ways if I'm wanting a variation:
1) With sliced banana on it
2) With marshmellow fluff.
Yum!
Ooh, that does sound yummy...
As a kid with a packed lunch at school, I'd put my Cool Ranch doritos in my PB&J.......awesome!! The crunch, the added salty with the sweet jam/jelly.......I've tried it with potao chips, too.......try it, so good! My perfect PB&J (prefer strawberry) meal consists of the sandwich with potato chips inside, and a tall glass of milk!
Try toasting your PB&J. YUM. The peanut butter and jelly, jam or honey melts together and the bread gets a light crust. Delicious. Also good with a slightly melted piece of chocolate.
JIF Creamy peanut butter & homemade strawberry preserves on either potato bread or honey wheat. I'm also a huge fan of peanut butter and marshmallow creme. I'll even combine all three and have a peanut butter, jelly, and marshmallow sandwich. Sometimes people ask me why I'm eating kid food, but I don't care; long live the PB&J!
Another variation of the grilled PB&J – when I was little my mom would make us a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, then dip it in a beaten egg, and fry it on the griddle. Then sprinkle it with confectioner's sugar. It was like a cross between PB&J and french toast. The peanut butter would get warm and melted. YUMMY! I make them for my husband now and he loves them.
Try your PB&J on Raisin Bread sometimes. It really kicks it up a notch!
PB&J is by far my favorite sandwich. I only use JIF Creamy peanut butter and Welch's Concord Grape jelly, though my bread choices have matured from white with no crust to a nice 100% whole wheat. However, I often find one sandwich is not enough to satisfy my hunger. Instead of eating two sandwiches, I make the triple-decker. It used to be only on very special, hunger filled occasions, that my mom would make me a triple-decker, but now that I make them myself, the triple-decker is the norm. Here is how it works....start with your standard PB&J, jelly on one side, peanut butter on the other. On the peanut butter slice, add another layer of peanut butter on top, then, load a third piece of bread with jelly and slap it on top. Voila! PB&J perfection.
All natural PB, homemade strawberry jam, and a dab of marshmallow fluff on whole wheat bread (w/ crust)... perfection!
My husband and I started to fall in love over PB&J. It went like this one morning after he spent the night after a late date (and yes, he slept on the couch)...
Him: What you making me for breakfast?
Me: I got some peanut butter and jelly for you (laugh).
Him: Crunchy peanut butter?
Me: OF COURSE!
Him: You got any milk?
Me: OF COURSE! And a tall glass to drink it out of too.
Both of us at the same time: With Ice!
And so it began. Aaaaahhh. Memories.
i like my pb&j shared with good friends. often.
I like my peanut butter and jelly with a baseball bat.
I have eaten PB&J for lunch probably 90% of my life since the age of at least 4. Given that I am now 31, that would put me right around 8800 PB&J sandwhiches. My wife only eats them on the day she works, but I have them on weekends, too. I've even gone as far as having it for dinner some nights in college. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm, can't wait for lunch today :). I like to say it helps keep my BMI low, too.
I eat so many of these things that I've created an efficient and wonderful way of eating them. First off, I use Eggo Waffles instead of bread and I make them into tacos. Put a spoon full of each, peanut butter and jelly, down the center, fold it and go! Dam amazing!!!!!!
2nd: When I want to actually get a little messy I make a regular sandwich (eggo or bread) and put the peanut butter and jelly on one side only. Then I add bananas, honey and whichever of my favorite cereals I have available and wash it down with a cup of chocolate milk! DAMMMMMM!!!!
PB&J is a classic. If you like pickles you must try PB&P I prefer Dill, my husband like Sweet. And our son has discovered PB& Bologna. I was convinced he was dead wrong but you know what – YUMMY!
I eat an almond butter and banana sandwich with a smidge of honey every day for lunch. And full disclosure, I also am a writer for a food blog that touts discovering excellent food in Connecticut at http://www.ctbites.com. So thank you for allowing this former shameless foodie to come out of the closet.
Grilled PB&J = HEAVEN! It's warm for a cold day and not as sticky/chewy as when the peanut butter is cold. Just put a little butter on the outside of the bread like you would for a grilled cheese, and voila! PERFECTION!
Ahhhh Yes the fried PB&J.. just what I was going to say... then add honey to the bread for a honeycomb effect under the PB. My sons and I like mini marshmallows as well.... with the 4 YO's favorite is the classic banana slices and marshmallows stuck to the PB and sliced always into squares.
I am 53 year old woman and eat more pb&j sandwiches than any other kind. Love them!
I eat PB&J on toast every morning with a cold glass of milk. No joke – It is my favorite breakfast! Of course I get teased relentlessly for this – but I don't care. It is my guilty pleasure and completely my mom's fault. We were raised on PB&J.
She still eats it everyday too!
OH and blackberry jam is GREAT!
THE BEST EVER IS : my wonderful girlfriend after three years of dating made me a grilled pb&j .... it was soooo delicious which made me happy but I was also mad it took three years to have one considering she was making this sandwhich her whole life..... butter one side of two slices of break just like a grilled cheese...then pb&j and on the inside(kinda tough to do but totally worth it) then grill that sucker ..... you have no idea ... sometimes she will sprinkle powdered sugar or warm blueberries in the pan to put on top .... it will change your life.
I like my pb on one side and jelly on the other, crust and all. Sometimes I like putting a layer of potato chips in the middle for a little crunch and the salt with the sweet is great!
I like PB and dill pickle sandwiches. i also like to mis PB and Kayro Syrup with a little sugar you can eat this by itself like cnady. Truly you can do so many things with PB!AWSOME STUFF!!!
Got to have butter on one slice of bread before you add the jelly/jam. Something from my childhood. There's nothing more satisfying! PB&J
I never knew so many people loved PB&J as much as me, I kid you not, tears welled in my eyes reading this. I sculpted a PB&J before and used it as the center peice of my table. It tastes good in so many ways: with different jellies, different types of bread, crusts, or no crusts, toasted or not toasted, I LOVE pb&j, more than i love a lot of people. Though i will argue that replacing the jelly with honey is not replacing it at all, but creating a whole new sandwhich (which i like, just not anywhere as much as pbnj)...its not really pbnj if you put lettuice and stuff in it, its just not right :-(
I use 3 slices of bread, PB on the outside slices, and Jelly on the inside slice.
oh one more, Smuckers sells those round PB&Js...freeze them. when they start to thaw out the bread thaws first and PB stays hard. off the chain!
I love peanut butter so much – but ONLY organic peanut butter and it has to be toasted with something on both sides- ie. wtih nutella or jam :)
its peanut butter jelly time!
PB&J can only be done many ways with all different kinds of both peanut butters and different jellies. they are all awesome. but to truly do it right, crush some potatoe chips in between the slices. this is a true delicacy...trust me and to one better it, use crunchy peanut butter...MMMMMMMMMMMM
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my grilled PB & J on whole grain wheat. Yes, I'm craving one now. <3
I love PB&J with Guava jelly cruchy peanut butter and Martin's 100% Whole Wheat Potato Bread...so yummy as a matter of fact i am eating one right now. Not only is it yummy but it's a cheap quick food.
I heart PB. I eat ingredients separate and I mix them . The one I do not mix is PB and mayonnaise. In the same sandwich, sticky and slippy. Don’t knock it till you try it. George Washington Carver for president!!!
Everyday, this is my staple breakfast, many different jams and jellys but everyday, never cereal, no muffins, just
PBJ everyday!
Nothing better than a classic pb & j on whole wheat (crusts on, pb on both sides, gives the jelly something to stick to). For a gross sounding but great variation, try a peanut butter and pickle sandwich. It's the bomb!
I do organic peanut butter, the Whole Foods house brand. It's seriously the best PB I've ever had. I grew up hating peanut butter, until I realized it's only because we were fed the Peter Pan brand which tastes awful. Good quality ingredients make the sandwich in my opinion.
I mix it up with the jams/jellies/preserves that I use. Raspberry and strawberry are both good, and I stick to organic there as well.
I like nutty/seedy/oaty bread... the heartier the better.
pb and blueberries!
I like grilled pb&j s . They are they best!
Pb with cream cheese on toasted whole wheat is the best!
I've found myself eating grapes and peanuts thinking... this is PB&J deconstructed. I love PB&J, by far the best sandwich ever. With or without milk.
peanut butter is my favorite food group.
Toast, well done. Peanut butter, extra crunchy. Marshmallow fluff, extra fluffy. Marionberry preserves, tangy. Ice cold milk, frothy.
Just like Memere used to make!
I grew up around a bunch of mormons in Idaho. In their pantry was a stock full, always, of bananas, honey, preserves, and good, local bread. And Skippy – in varying textures. I've tried everything. Organic, Skippy Honey Roasted, Crunchy, and other nutbutters. I've also, being a foodie, tried out every jelly and jam from marmalades to fresh berry preserves to homemade spreads. My personal favorite, still, remains to this day – Wonderbread, with the correct ratio of smooth Jif (the creamiest, sweetest, most delicious peanut butter in existence), concord grape jelly, then sandwiched together, and crusts removed! No toasting necessary. I always put a few TBS of PB in a small dish, zap in the microwave for about 10 seconds to get it creamy and soft and more spreadable :)
Thank you for sharing my passion!! PB&J is the best. And when you're feeling frisky, head to the frozen foods department in your local grocery store and try PB&J Uncrustables, just to mix it up a bit...have it on the go!
FAB!
OMG. Has anyone else mentioned the Uncrustables in the comments section? Don't think so, but I must say, I only ate those for a period of time shortly after moving to San Francisco. Not out of poverty, but because I got a costco card and they were on sale, not to mention freakin amazingly delicious! Soft, puffy, American white bread with heaps and heaps of jelly and peanut butter, warm and gooey from the microwave heat? yes please!!
I actually don't use jam from time to time and go straight for fresh fruit (usually grapes, boysenberries, blueberries, etc). It can be a little messier than normal - with some fruit it's a good idea to pb both sides so they don't go anywhere - but it's an interesting and healthier take on the experience.
Pb&j with cheese in the middle is the best!
I like either Trader Joes organic PB or their Sunflower butter on toasted wheat, no crusts, with blueberry jam.. PB on one side :)
Have you not heard of the PeanutButter and Fluffernutter? They run a close second to PB&J in my world...
I'm sorry, but nothing beats grandma's homemade strawberry jam and some chunky Jif peanut butter! She always cut the crust off too and ever since then I can hardly eat any sandwich without breaking off my crust.
i eat 2 pb/j for dinner when i am working. as a traditionalist, i only use grape jam. the pb/j sandwiches are (as i tell everyone) would be the only sandwich to survive a nuclear attack. i doesnt matter room tempature, cold or a little warm they are alway good.
As the ultimate PBJ expert, I use lots of PB and lots of J (grape). Butter the outside of both slices and then grill them (like grilled cheese). The PB and the J will melt together and even run out of the edges. You won't need a napkin though as long as you tongue is handy. It's my favorite meal!
Need to butter the bread first (NOT margarine!) YUUUUM!!!!
PB and J anyway is always great, but it must have a tall glass of cold milk to go with it!!!
My fave is peanut butter and heath bar chips. It rocks!
My 33-year-old husband eats PB&J everyday for lunch (it has to have home-made jam). I tease him about it all the time, because even on the weekends, he wants nothing more than a triple-decker PB&J sandwich. It's one of the things I love most about him.
Like many of you, I grew up with PB&J almost every day. I like it many ways but my TRUE PB&J has to be on white bread (Wonder Bread for Yankees, Merita in the South) with PB on both sides & an equal amount of Welch's Grape Jelly in between. Wash-down each bite with a mouthful of whole milk & I am in PB&J Paradise! Of course, it goes without saying that my PB has to be "Skippy" ;)
There are a lot of interesting varieties here, and I will be trying many of them.
Thanks for a great article!
What is merita? Im from Alabama and everyone i know uses Sunbeam .
However i do agree with the Welch's Grape Jelly. :) delicious!
Like most, I grew up with PB&J almost every day. I like it many different ways, but my favorite is on white bread (Wonder Bread for Yankeees, Merita in the South) PB on both sides with a substantial amount of Welch's Grape Jelly in the middle. Wash-down each bite with a mouthful of milk for pure ecstasy! Of course, the ONLY PB I eat is "Skippy" ;)
PB & Bacon!!!! Delish!
i love p&j open face, that way with two slices of bread i get twice as much p & j
I grew up with peanut butter sandwiches that we would dip in hot chocolate made with milk, not water. It was a gooey master piece, kind of like a Reese's Peanut Butter cup.
My kids love to have peanut butter toast with honey and cinnamon on top. They adore pb&j but I prefer my peanut butter alone.
Awesome post, Devna!
No special recipe here, but we do have an idea:
PB&J Club at work: folks sign-up by week to be in charge of one item (bread, PB, jelly, other)... then everyone can make their own all week- just the way they like it! Super easy, fast and inexpensive for all.
Smuckers has a 1/2 sugar jam that is fantastic. It has less sugar than a bowl of cereal. Mixed with a nice natural creamy peanut butter on a soft whole wheat made with honey instead of corn syrup and you have got yourself a sweet delicious and relatively healthy snack! I say FU to those that are complaining, PB&J deserves a front page article in Health magazine compared to the crud our schools feed our kids!
The crust is a must - if you're using good bread, it's the best part. Orowheat's buttermilk bread is one of my favorites for PB&J, and if I'm using a bread like that I even prefer using the all-crust end slices, like another commenter above. The bread should be LIGHTLY toasted, and the pb should go on while the bread is still warm, but not too hot. Warm enough to make the pb gooey but not drippy. For the jam, raspberry or apricot preserves are my favorites but I've got no objection to good ol' concord grape or strawberry. While nothing can beat a good pb&J sandwich, another good combo is cream cheese and jam on a toasted bagel (with or without a slice or two of good crispy bacon). Again, important that the bagel be lightly toasted, and warm but not hot when applying the cream cheese.
Toasted is great! Also the double decker...pb&j on one side, crust on and then slap another on top. Drooling.
I was introduced to PB and "maynaise" sandwiches in college. The flavors compliment each other nicely. I enjoy this combo on bread or on Ritz crackers.
I like to toast 2 slices of white bread, put peanut butter on one slice, and regular butter on the other slice.
1 Tbsp. Peanut butter smooth with no hydrogenated fats, with 1Tbsp. raspberry jam, on 2 slices of sourdough bread, wrap in foil. About 7 Weight Watchers Points. That was yesterday's breakfast.
Is the foil for extra fiber?
Best = open face PB with sugar (white or brown)
2nd Best = PB and tuna fish – sounds gross, but absolutely amazing! (Just mix a can of tuna with mayo, mustard, sugar, and vinegar)
3rd Best – grilled PB and J – just grill it like grilled cheese – melts the PB and warms the jelly. FANTASTIC
Thank you all for your awesome comments! I made a list of dozens of variations to try. Feel free to reach me on twitter (@DevnaCNN) if you have any other pb&j thoughts!
Almond butter and jelly is also awesome!!! Even better with the bread toasted ;)
Peanut Butter & Co., 240 Sullivan Street
New York, NY 10012-4857
(212) 677-3995
Just outside Greenwich Village.
Wow! This is so fun to read. I grew up in the 50's. Yes, white bread (my mom bought at the bakery) with Jiff (smooth) and Welch's grape–an occaisional break to Smucker's strawberry preserves. I lived by the motto "choosy mothers choose Jiff" whether selecting for myself or my children (now 28 & 30). However, I went cold turkey from Jiff two years ago–only the local St. Louis Mound City Nut Company–peanuts only–peanut butter for me now. I have learned to love it on whole wheat (local Black Bear Bakery) bread. I still use grape jelly, but "fruit only." This evolution has included years of peanut butter on toast with banana for breakfast as well as my summer favorite–peanut butter/tomato/bacon sandwhiches with or without lettuce. Only yesterday, July 12, I watched my husband prepare his peanut butter and jelly sandwhich to take to work. I packed something else but sat with two co-workers to take a break and eat lunch–each with a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich! Where was mine? I felt left out! Life is good with peanutbutter! Did I mention peanut butter and chocolate?
St. Louis
I take two slices of whole wheat bread, toast them and while they are still warm, slather on the PB. Then add Brummel & Brown butter followed by strawberry preserves. Repeat with second warm toasted slice. Add a mug of Green Mtn Coffee Roasters coffee (breakfast blend) carry all into the living room and enjoy. This has been my Vermont morning breakfast for as log as I can remember. Occasionally I substitute toasted bagel for the bread. Oh yea, I save some of the PB for the banana. Kind of like breakfast dessert. YUM.
yep, extra crunchy PB, Stawberry preserves, and Banana slices on white bread with crusts. I do not like to eat the crust- it is the handle for the sandwich.
I like PB&j w/out no crust. i dont like crust at all !!!!!!! Who ever with me comment and say ummmmmmmmmm say "long live Pie !!!" idk jus comment and say dat lol
ummmmmmmmmmmmmm long live pie?
It's peanut butter jelly time!
Ever try a "T ripple Decker" PB&J? Three slices of bread, PB on the two outsides and J on the middle, both sides. The only way to eat them. Makes a single PB&J seem wimpy.
My vote is for savory. Wheat bread with JIF peanut butter on one side, Smart Balance buttery spread on the other. No need for jelly!
The classic will always be Wonder Bread, with PB on one side and Grape Jelly on the other – crusts on.
That said, classic doesn't mean that there aren't equally awesome variations. Apple jelly was always my favorite second choice. Lately I've also found that apple, peach or cherry butter make excellent GJ subs. And for something a little different, try sprinkling some brown sugar on a PB sandwich. Sheer awesomeness.
I love my PB&J with Better Butter (a new local Philly product that has abt 1/2 the calories of peanut butter and tastes great), strawberry jam and whole wheat bread. Sometimes I use fresh banana slices instead of jam. Yum!!! If you're interested, http://www.mybetterbutter.com is the website.
peanut butter and bacon, with a big glass of milk, a favorite since I was a kid.
And now it's peanut butter and BBQ chips. The opposites do attract.
Another one is PB& Dill pickle slices
I am a classically trained chef, a foodie, a homebrewer, and a wine conniseur, yet I LOVE my PB&J. Wonderbread, jif, and any of the fresh preserves my grandmother has on hand! not only does it take me back to my childhood, it also fits so darn well together!
I like fresh ground peanut butter with cream cheese...
My wife makes home made Muscadine jelly with Habanero in it. Toasted bread, jelly one side, PB the other. 2 sammies. On the way to golf course, or at the turn or for lunch or for midnight snack. Habanero really gives it a good flavor and a kick , if you are a chile head. ( I am)
Man cannot live by bread alone, he must have peanut butter (from the unexpurgated new testament). When I finished survival school on my way to a year in Viet Nam, I went straight to the commissary to buy bread, PB&J and spent the afternoon replenishing the peanut butter missed in the woods and simulated POW camp. Peanut butter on bread, or bagels or celery or apples or bananas or ....
I like peanut butter on both sides (it keeps the jelly from making the bread soggy) with grape jelly!!!! I leave the crust on and cut the sandwich into 4 pieces.
I also LOVE peanut butter and banana sandwiches!
3 slices of wholewheat bread, peanut butter on one side of the two outside slices and grape jelly on both sides of the center slice,,,,,, only way to eat a PB&J
On a toasted English Muffin, please. And recently discovered by my 5 year old daughter: on a toasted English Muffin with egg whites! YUM
Since you are based in New York, I presume you have been to Peanut Butter and Company –http://ilovepeanutbutter.com/shop/hours-and-directions
This is a PB&J lover's Momofuku. I took my 3 year-old nephew there and he enjoyed his sandwich while looking around suspiciously at every other person in the restaurant in disbelief that they were ALL eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
I am 68 yrs. old and have eaten a PB&J almost every day for the 40 years.
I wish I didn't click on this page. It made me hungry.
PB, Bananas & Honey.............crust on, the best : )
Wheat bread with crust on, Trader Joe's Crunchy Peanut Butter w/ flax seed and Omega 3s...thick on both sides. From there, it depends on what you are feeling...you can go with raspberry preserves on both sides and mush together or pumpkin butter (also from TJs) on one side spread thick. The pumpkin butter option is really nice for Fall.
I use whole wheat bread, JIF and Braswell's Red Currant jelly which is not real sweet, sort of tangy and may be regional (southeast). Or honey, or other jams and jellies, or raisins, or raisins and grated carrots mixed with the JIF. Many of the other "recipes" sound good so I'll probably try them – I Iive on the edge, lol.
I just love PB. I like to have the crust and PB on both sides on wheat bread. Taste so good.
Peanut Butter Jelly with sliced apple and honey
I love Peanut Butter on banana's but my brother-in-law loves peanut butter, mayo and banana sandwiches which always made me say YUCK!..lol
don't forget the cottage cheese! (don't knock it 'til you try it – gives it an extra kick of creaminess that really fills out the flavor)
My secret addiction is the Peanut Butter and Mint-Flavored Apple Jelly Sandwich. It is a unique and wonderful flavor.
PB&J, strawberry, crunchy, crust on, and with sliced bananas on occasion. I tried sprinkling wheat germ in there for a while.
I was introduced to toasted PB&J for breakfast while chasing soviet submarines in a P-3 Orion many years ago. I can't eat one now without feeling the sway of the deck and the roar of the engines not to mention the smell of sweat, leather, and kerosene. Good stuff.
I was sent of to Guam once with a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of homemad sourdough bread cause i only hand about two dollars to my name. That jar and loaf lasted me three days. Good eats.
yay C2 love! my fave is crunchy PB on both sides, the fakest whitest bread possible, and sliced bananas! PB&B for me!
The cafeteria here at my Microsoft office serves these! Love them – PB, starwberry jam. Now I know what's for dinner tonight!
Well, I think I like PB&J in any way but my favorite is toasted with chunky PB and if I can, I substitute the jelly for fresh sliced strawberries.
Aw man I haven't had a P&J in ages. I stick mainly with grilled chicken n a little pasta. In fact, I avoid peanut butter due to all the fat content. But you know what, I'm inspired today to go get me some Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Bread, and MAKE me a sammich!
I eat a PBJ (on a "sandwich thin," smooth natural PB on one side, strawberry–or raspberry, if I have it!–preserves on top of the PB) every single work day for breakfast! Its a great quick breakfast, good carbs & protein for the start of the day, a sweet sugar kick goes so nice with my coffee and keeps me satisfied until lunch. Yay, PBJ!
If you're a real PB&J addict ( i.e., grew up in the boros of NYC or equivalent, low/middle income, numerous hungry siblings, never had bought 'hot lunch') you've shared the secret ecstasy of fresh, spongy Wonderbread White pasted on the left side (always) with JIF or Skippy Peanut Butter (definitely creamy unless somebody grabbed crunchy by mistake at the A&P), to a depth of from 3/16 to 5/16 inches, feathered to the edges, adroitly balanced on the right side with a copious but not excessive measure of Welch's Grape jelly (best from a newly popped jar with the one-time removable lid that ultimately became one of the family milk glasses). The two sides were married by carefully aligning the upper left corner of the PB side (no drip) over the corresponding Jelly side and pressing gently, but firmly, to consummate the union. (Note: edge spillover is considered amateur.) A morning-time trick is to wipe the knife on a single, standby piece of bread after each PB/J application; this remnant folds into a quick fix and keeps the source vessels pure.
By lunchtime at school, many, if not all, of these rations were squashed into skinny, soggy squares that somehow, despite the mutilation, still always tasted great. While a full, cold glass of whole-fat, cholesterol-rich milk was the preferred accompaniment, slurping through a short straw from a half-pint Borden's milk container somehow imparted a certain orthodoxy. Yes, on weekends or special family gatherings, lightly toasted bread, still correctly soft in the middle, was celebrated. Patience permitting, cutting diagonally or in half with a dull knife was practiced, allowing a first full bite into pure, uncrusted marrow but then, regrettably, resulting in marginally flavored edges.
Through your teen years of PB&J addicted life, you would have consumed a minimum of 10,000 of these staple-of-life units (365 days x 15 years x 2 – no legit PB&J'er eats less than 2 per sitting). Into the next 15 years, then the next 15, and so on, the toll increases until your DNA eventually mutates into predominately PB&J.
Now that, thanks to the heroics of CNN's Devna Shukla, we, as a recognized species, have been brought out of eternal darkness, it would seem that a national, if not world-wide, convention of PB&J'ers would be appropriate. B.Y.O.P.B.&J.
I think I'm in CommentLove with you.
Great comment!
When you get that convention organized, sign me up. . .
fresh warm sourdough bread... lightly buttered... skippy peanut butter both pieces... sliced banana on one... drizzled with quality honey on the banana... put them together for the ultimate PB-B-H sandwich... my-oh-my... gonna have one when i get home tonight!!!
Reading these comments, I suddenly feel like I'm being too conservative with my PB&J choices. Would it give me any street cred if I mixed it up a bit and went with chunky peanut butter for once?
I love the classic but have had the most gourmet version made by the chef at The Parlor (Bellevue,WA) he used fresh french bread, real butter (thin coat on both sides) peanut butter (one side) and raspberry jam.....YUM!!
it's not on the menu but I bet if you asked nicely he'd make it for you too!
I love mine grilled. I spray butter flavored cooking spray on the outsides of the bread and grill it in a skillet -makes the PB all gooey and runny. Depending on how cold you like your J, you can add at the end.
I usually have a plain PB&Jam sandwich for my brown bag lunch, Adams Creamy or Crunchy unsalted PB with Blueberry preserves. I am going to be trying some of your ideas. . .like PB&J with chips in the middle, or with raisins. Thanks for sharing! :)
Now french fries WITH fois gras would be outta this world!
When I was teenager, I used to toast 2 slices of white bread and then while the toast was still hot, I would spread peanut butter on one slice hot toast and jelly on the other slice of hot toast. Then I would smash them together and the peanut butter and jelly would become a gooey mixed filling between the two toast. It was delicious and I ate this PBJ sandwhich every day for a year. Now 30 years later I won't eat PBJ sandwiches cause I'm sick of it. Lol!
You're right, Devna: you obviously don't know anything about food (or French) if you're calling it "eau di vie." It's "eau de vie."
Unfortunately I can't make it past the first paragraph of an article with such a blaring spelling error.
Wow, then your snootyness made you miss a great article. Lighten up, foodie wannabe.
PB&J's are the best!!....My faves are the first three and the last three slices of bread in a loaf.....PB&J two slices and stick the third in the middle....a good old triple decker!!!!!!!
Hmph... Take "natural" PB, pour off the peanut oil for making popcorn later on, and just dip in- fingers are best, spoons are optional.
For the decadent, spoon PB into a bowl and melt a Hershey bar over it in the uwave- you'll only fail to let it cool down once!
(yeah, any sort of PB&J is great, but I developed a gluten intolerance- the GF breads just don't cut it for taste!)
Oh, and the best PB act ever...
WARNING! GUY HUMOR AHEAD! WARNING!
Was at a buddies, when his wife asked him to change the newborns diaper.
10 minutes later, out he comes holding a diaper, sticking his dirty finger in his mouth and saying "Mmmmm".
12 beers to get your friends smiling: $10
Some PB on a diaper: Priceless
Sometimes I'll try some butter, jelly on the butter & then peanut butter on the other side. Only those days when I really need my "fix".. =)
Except that the scientific fact is that these allergies are NOT on the rise – baseless paranoia is. Many hyper protective moms confuse an intolerance with an allergy. They are not the same. Also, many of these lunatics think that just because their child got a hive once, the next time they eat a peanut they will die – they will not. I ate PB&J every day in high school. A couple of times I got hives. I just kept on eating and the hives went away. This would be the case with most, but the crazy mom freaks out and want to remove peanuts from the face of the earth Unless you have eaten peanuts in the presence of a doctor, and then tested positive for the IgE antibody, you cannot say whether you are allergic. Also, although there are many urban myths about fatal peanut incidents, the FACT is it does not / has not happened. One in a billion does not an epidemic make. And yes, schools ARE banning them, the last two schools my youngest daughter went to had complete bans.
Exposure therapy works wonders for kids with peanut butter, egg, and gluten allergies. Of course it should be administered by someone who knows what they're doing, but we have friends with a child that was allergic to practically everything under the sun and was miserable. Couldn't even touch and egg in the shell. She found an exposure therapy clinic, and now the kid can eat anything.
WHO LIKES THE SKIPPY
I'm a Skippy girl!!!! Creamy, reduced fat, please!
Skippy Chunky is the best PB ever made. I have eaten it daily for 50 years.
I’m unbiased, not from here originally. I tried both Skippy and jiff and I like Skippy (crunchy) the best!
White bread of some sort, Jif creamy peanut butter on one side, Smucker's or Welch's grape jam... not jelly... on the other side. Both sides have to be covered as much as possible... no white spots visible! :)
I practically lived on PB&J sandwiches when I was a kid at sleep-away summer camp. If you didn't like the main meal being served, PB&J was always the fall-back option. Being a very picky eater caused me to use that option a few times a week! As for now, it's still my fall-back option if I don't anything else that sounds appealing at that moment.
Also good: a slightly warmed peanut butter sandwich... only needs about 5-10 seconds in the microwave.
PB One-Side / J the other ... on POTATO BREAD!!!! <3 <3 <3
I love peanut butter and jelly, however I also like peanut butter and cheese with mayo!
dude.....sick!
I highly recommend grilling a PB&J sandwich. Gooey yumminess!
other... crust and peanutbutter and jelly on both sides
I still eat PB & J with my grandkids. Adams creamy penut butter rasberry jam and lays potato chips smashed between two slices of whole wheat bread with crust. (the kids always like a picture drawn on theirs with the edible pens used for decorting cakes)
With regards to your stomach issues, have you 100% ruled out a gluten intolerance? These often show up after one specific stomach illness such as a virus. Tests, including biopsies, have a high occurrence of false negatives. If you still haven't nailed down the cause for your stomach problems, I would discuss this with your doctor. Giving up gluten for a few weeks can lead to a life-altering realization.
And PB&Js are delicious even on gluten free bread!
PB on both sides – especially if the sandwich is not for immediate consumption. Otherwise, the bread gets soggy.
How could you let something like that sit there? I can understand how it'd get soggy by drooling on it.
Simply Jif PB(less sugar) & Nutella!
Simply Jif & Fritos.
SImply Jif & Smuckers Grape Jelly PB on one side Jelly on other, crusts on please.
Mom actually ran out of bread once at our house, so tried PB&J on waffles . Now Im hooked! Strawberry/rhubarb jelly is yummy! Not quite as sweet as just plain strawberry. I get it at Cost Plus World Market.
I'm pretty anal about the way I eat PB&J. I have to mix the PB & J until I get a certain consistency and then spread that on both sides of the sandwich. Oh, and crust on.
Oregon Marionberry Pepper Jelly and crunchy peanut butter on whole wheat toast !!! PB on both sides of the toast so the jelly won't soak through – makes a great lunch on a hike (or kayak) !!!
I love natural peanut butter (crunchy or creamy) with Raspberry tart natural fruit spread on Sheephearders bread – "The bomb!"
PB and marshmellow fluff is also one of my favorites – although people on the left coast think I am strange to like it.
This thread makes me smile! How often do you see this many happy comments in a row?
Peanut butter (preferably Jif Creamy) and apricot preserves on whole wheat for me - crusts on!
ohhhh... I spoke to soon... the angry people are starting to show up..... well, it was fun while it lasted.....
The best peanut butter on the planet is Santa Cruz Dark Roasted peanut butter.
Peanut Butter on one side, Strawberry Jam on the other and then Grilled just like a Grilled Chees Sandwich. YUMMY!!!
It's so nice to read a whole comment section where everyone is just sharing and having fun.... (it was almost perfect until jsotis76 went on the attack)..... It just doesn't seem complete to me without PB on both sides with jelly or jam in the middle – maybe it's just an excuse to have more PB... you've all reminded me of other variations that need to be revisited – THANKS !!!
This article caught my attention, because for the first time since junior high, I recently started having PB&J sandwiches for lunch every day (I'm 42). Reason being is that I brown bag my lunch and for the past 10 years, I've always had 4-5 slices of cold cuts + a slice of cheese between 2 slices of bread.
But a recent trip to the doctor determined that I was on the verge of hypertension (high blood pressure) due to consuming excessive sodium. So, per the American Heart Association's website, I switched to PB&J last month and never looked back.
That photo in this article is making me crave it right now, even though I just had one 3 hours ago. :-)
I have to say that this post is exemplary of the typical American ignorance that enrages the rest of the world. Do not get me wrong, I enjoy a pb& j sandwich just as much as the next person, but to be unwilling to expose yourself to the different foods, and thus the different cultures of the world makes you narrow minded and ignorant. One does not have to be a "foodie" to learn about and enjoy different cuisines. What keeps one from eating sushi (one of the most nutritious meals you can find), indian, ethiopian, french, greek (the list is endless)? The answer is only one thing, the unwillingness to try something new; to explore something different than your own. You do not need to be an egotistical food maniac to enjoy Uni or fois gras, you just need to keep an open mind.
"What keeps one from eating sushi (one of the most nutritious meals you can find)" – the Mercury in the sushi, that's what keeps ME from eating Sushi. I do like sushi, but won't eat it ever again. Google "The Cove Mercury Rising" and watch the 18 minute video. Your sushi may be anything BUT nutritious.
Mike, I would say your comment shows YOUR ignorance in assuming that just because we enjoy peanut butter sandwiches we have never tried or like anything else. What a stupid comment on your behalf! Personally, I have eaten, and in fact cooked, most cuisines, including Thai, Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Greek, Italian, Russian, and pretty much everything in between. I've had sushi prepared by chefs specially flown in from Japan, and I've had Borscht in Siberia. But I also happen to enjoy a good PB&J,. and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
This article is about peanut butter & jelly therefore the people responding are posting about their PB&J preferences. The fact that we posters enjoy peanut butter does not mean that all, or even most of us don't enjoy other foods as well.
I like teriyaki and beef bourguignon; spanakopita and naan; smoked fish and pad Thai. But to reply to a question about my peanut butter and jelly preferences with a discourse on which sauce I prefer on my escargots would mark me as an idiot as well as an insufferable snob.
For the record, however, I don't eat much sushi (or sashimi.)
PB&J (grape) with a glass of cold milk and some potato chips is a great lunch. I need to try more flavors – raspberry works well, too.
PB&bacon is a great breakfast sandwich. My mother always told me I asked for it out of the blue at the age of three. I've eaten it since!
PB & syrup mixed together is a great pancake/waffle topper. Oddly enough, the fake maple syrup works best.
I'm hungry now!
...as for the variations, try some honey with those bananas
Natural peanut butter (crunchy, of course) with no sugar added. My favorite has an ingredient list of "peanuts."
Apple butter that's made from fresh apples and apple cider - nothing else.
Add a multi-grain sandwich roll and you have a great meal.
Equal part PB and Guava Jelly mixed well –spread on bread, crust on/off - your choice!
Our son wanted his pb&j [w. guava jelly] so much we had to ship some when he was stationed in Japan!
I like CRUNCH PB best! :-)
If you're in NY try the Peanut Butter Sandwhich Restaurant. It has all kinds of creative variations of PB&J. Although I'm more old school and stick with toasted white bread, peanut butter on one side, and no jelly.
Crunchy PB on one side, crusts on.
Now, moving on to a cousin of the PBJ, how about taking a banana, loading it with PB, and then topping off the PB with chocolate chips? Awesome!
I take mine with some kind of multi-grain bread, Smucker natural creamy PB (still sold in a glass bottle!), and any good jam. Every day for breakfast.
First of all, rasberry jelly is the way to go for PB&J. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Second, on occasion I like to substitute the jelly for raisins and bananas to go along with chunky peanut butter with the crusts on. That would be my favorite variation.
Peanut Butter on both sides, bread only sligtly toasted, and I actually prefer jams/preserves other than grape...like apricot :)
My problem with peanut butter probably started at age 8, when I was attacked by Peter Pan. I later found out the man was in fact not Peter Pan, but a pcp addict who thought we could fly.
If you mix a teaspoon of butter with your peanut butter and jelly it makes it smoother – the taste is also phenomenal
Peanut Butter & Miracle Whip (yes, really!)
Peanut Butter & Potato Chips & Dill Pickle slices
Grilled Peanut Butter with Bananas & chocolate syrup
YUMMO!
Miracle whip – Awesome! and try Bread and Butter Pickles well.
With Peanut Butter & Co.'s dark chocolate PB, strawberry perserves and marshmellows. Microwave for about 20 seconds. I think I'm going to cry.
I hate to be a downer here, but since being poisoned 3 years ago from eating P B, I have a very difficult time eating it. I was violently ill 3 times in 6 weeks from eating Salmonella tainted Peter Pan. I just started eating another brand recently with a lot of fear and hesitation. But that proves my strong love of PB & J. Last week I purchased a frozen product called "cheezy, chicken & pasta" made by Marie Calendar. When I got home there was a note in bold on the bottom of my receipt stating this product may contain "Salmonella"!! What??? Why was it not removed from the freezer? People....we're all taking a risk everytime we put any food into our mouths these days. Unless you grew it yourself or cooked it really well, just eating has become a risk. The fact is that no food is completely safe anymore.
No need to freak out here. Because the item you purchased had raw chicken in it that must be cooked completely, they opted to put that warning on the receipt. They dont' expect it to be there, but it's chicken, and honestly you just never know. That's why you cook it to 160 degrees.
50 years old and I still take them to work everyday. I have no plan to stop.
I love all of the ways PB&J have been discussed above. Lately, I've taken to mixing my PB with the J and eating it on an apple. Takes PB and apple to a whole new level;)
I am 60 and eat peanut butter and jelly nearly every day for lunch and have done so for all my life (though sometimes on the weekend at home I will have peanut butter and honey). Started using whole grain bread in the mid 1970's instead of white. Rye bread definitely makes the best PB&J. From about 6th grade up to age 40 I ate two everyday for lunch. Don't know how many thousands of them I have eaten. If you are lucky you will not grow out of this phase!
Im the fan of the triple decker. Its seems the regular doesn't do the trick anymore. Im a college kid so its PB on one side of two peices of bread. Slap jelly on one side of the third put it on one the PB's and then slap jelly on the other side of that 3rd piece and put teh 2nd PB on top. DELICIOUS and filling.
Milk Recommended.
I prefer peanut butter and sugar (peanut butter spread on cheap white bread, covered with sugar, and topped with soft butter so it's like eating peanut butter cookie dough) to peanut butter and jelly, but prefer either open faced with crust on.
Only way to eat PB&J is on a floured tortilla. You spread peanut butter over tortilla add jelly of choice crush LAY's potato chips in bag and pour on top of tortilla roll up and enjoy.
Childhood fave was PB&J on hard taco shells. Split the shell along the bottom, spread PB & J on one, nestle the other one flat on top and stick in the toaster for a few minutes. HEAVEN. Have not had that in probably two decades. Need one NOW.
LOL! I've never been that analytical about PB&J. I now know, however, what ceviche, eau di vie, and varak are, so very enlightening article.
My husband often jokes that I am going to turn into a PB&J sandwich....slaving over the oven when he's not home, he doesn't even need to ask what I had for dinner. I like mine with strawberry jelly! I have realized that PB&J sandwiches are comfort foods – much like Mac & Cheese – out of the box, no less. :) (PS I also have them before long runs as they are a great source of protein and a great filler.)
Go to 'Wichcraft in NYC, they make a mean PB&J!
I remember my mom making fantastic PB&J sandwiches on home made bread when I was in high school (I'm now 65). Boy was I embarrassed that first day when I brought my sack lunch to high school! That is until my friends saw my sandwiches and, I found, would trade me their sandwiches (full of meat and cheese) or get me anything available in the lunchroom in trade. Those "Mom's best" were worth their weight in gold. Today, even though my PB&Js aren't made on home made bread, they are much anticipated and consumed at every opportunity (i.e. when the food police are either mellowed or aren't looking). I think PB&J sandwiches deserve recognition as "America's No.1 Sandwich"
I eat them (like most of my sandwiches) open-faced. Meaning 1 slice of bread, put down the PB and then the J. Too much bread takes away flavor in my opinion. Though, if I'm packing a lunch I'd use 2 pieces of bread otherwise things might get messy.
Finally!!! Someone else who eats it open-faced. My Dad ate them that way, and I do too. I'll also take any kind of bread, toasted or not. My absolute favorite though is Jif on rye, with blueberry or blackberry.
A childhood favorite I try to sneak in every once in a while~~chunky pb, mini marshmallows, shredded carrots and chocolate chips on soft sourdough bread.....disgustingly good!!!!!!!
I eat mine with crusts on and pb on one side. My mom does the same, but puts butter on the jelly side before she adds the jelly. She claims that it keeps the jelly from seeping into the bread before she eats it.
I must be one of the 17 people in this country that does not like PB&J. I love peanut butter. I love jam and jelly. I love bread. But I just can't do them as a combo. When I eat peanut butter, which is not often, my sandwiches are peanut butter and butter - room temperature, please. I know, most people think it is a disgusting combination - my wife calls them grease sandwiches, but then she hates peanut butter, altogether. But I like it. To each his own.
PB and raspberry jam on toasted whole wheat with a cold glass of milk ROCKS!
Next time, try dipping your sandwich in your glass of milk before you take a bite... Completely different experience... :-)
Sorry, but you and the cottage cheese person's PBJ is gross! Peace.
My husband likes his p with lettuce & tomatoes on toast bread, I like p on wheat cakes
GRILLED PB&J!!! Just like you'd make grilled cheese, but wtih peanut butter and jelly.... SOOOO GOOD
definitely had a grilled pb&j last night
Something about it makes it so much better than just toasting the bread... it's amazing
The best is PB&J with potato chips in the middle of the mixture for an added bonus. Also, try it on Beefsteak Rye bread for an extra kick!
try two tablespoons your favorite PB and one tablespoon Steens Cane Syrup,mix well, you will never go back.
I like the Peanut Butter on one side with Jelly spread on top of the peanut butter. 1) Because it is easier to spread than on the bread slice itself. 2) You can put the Jelly concentration evenly or where you want to most enjoy it.
I also like to make PB&J burritos. I am anxious to try PB&J grilled (similar to grilled cheese sandwiches).
Good luck on you quest of PB&J.
Funny, this article reminded me of how my mom refused to cut the crusts off of my PB&J sandwiches when I was a kid, and bought only wheat bread. She always insist to me that a picky eater is a miserable eater, and that I'll thank her when I grow up. Well, I'm (way) grown up now, and you'll find me VERY hard pressed to find a food that I don't like, including PB&J with crusts. Funny, I run into adults who continue to cut the crust off of their sandwiches, and as one might expect, they also happen to be the ones that pick the tomatoes off of burgers, refuse onions, olives, mushroom, etc. and have a generally miserable time with anything but the blandest and most processed of foods. That's SAD! So, enjoy your PB&J WITH THE CRUST and GIVE IT TO YOUR KIDS THAT WAY. (It is better on white, though...!)
I moved into a 85 year old house that came with a grape trellis – I've been making my own concord grape jelly for almost 10 years and started making my own peanut butter 3 years ago. I can't go back to commercial but I almost can't keep up production for my own with the kids. We are absolutely PB&J worshipers! I love the salty peanut butter and the sweet jelly – there just isn't a combination out there like it.
The best PB&J in the world is definitely Peter Pan peanut butter on both pieces of bread and Welch's Grape Jelly in the middle. The only other missing ingredient is a tall cold glass of milk that you drink in one gulp upon completion of the sandwich.
Best BP Sand:
mix PB and J in bowl
spread on
melt butter in pan – do not burn butter
toast until it stats to ooze out
remove and put in the freezer for 2 or 3 minutes (very important)
remove and eat mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I am with you. never tried the freezer trick. I will keep that in mind.
PB, Mayo and onion is to die for!!
make your PB & J, leave it unclosed, then add harvest cheddar sunchips or doritos directly onto the PB or J. Close the sandwich and serve with a very tall glass of milk and you're set!
Great article! Here are a few comments.
I'm vegetarian and I eat a PB&J every single day for lunch. I never get tired of it. Safeway makes a good blueberry jam that goes great with peanut butter. I also like peanut butter and banana sandwiches and peanut butter and honey.
I've done triathlons and ate a cut-up PB&J on the bike portion rather than any sport bars or gels. It also has a good amount of salt to replace what is lost from sweat. And they still taste good when they get smashed.
I think that peanut butter on white bread is the ultimate comfort food.
My mother didn't like peanut butter. When she made peanut butter sandwiches, she put margarine on the bread topped with peanut butter then jelly on the other bread. It was disgusting! Luckily she didn't make lunches very often.
There was an editorial comment in the article earlier that seems to have been removed. It said the writer could have checked the Eatcyclopedia for the terms, but only one is listed in it. So Google still would have been the best choice, though the Eatcyclopedia is pretty cool for browsing culinary terms, though the interface leaves something to be desired.
I LOVE pb&j, and was just introduced to peanut butter on both sides! Don't know how I went so long not knowing it, its genius. BUT how has nobody mentioned pb&nutella. The pb and the sweetness are perfect together!
I live in philly and we are getting a resturant just for pb and j ! cant wait
I haven't found a way that I don't like it yet!!!
Peanut butter and jelly with banana (even better if made like a grilled cheese sandwich)
Peanut butter and green olive sandwiche (spread pb on both sides of bread to prevent it from getting soggy).
PB and Marshmallow fluff!!
PB and maple syrup....
My dad used green olives to put smiley faces on my sandwiches when I was a kid. Now PB & green olives is my favorite sandwich. delicious!
Diagnosed with Celiac Disease 8 Months ago and oh how I miss the Gooey goodness of PBJ on whole wheat bread, However I found eating it Globbed on top of a salty rice cake is equally satisfying! :) or just a spoon of it twirled in melted chocolate. yummy.
For some reason I'm mostly an almond butter mixed with honey on La Brea whole wheat ( toasted ) .
Occasionally I deviate and mix it with raspberry jam instead of honey .
Yummy yum yum! I love me a good PBJNBK in the morning.....that is short for Peanut Butter and Jelly with Nutella sliced bananas and Kellogs Corn Flakes in it. This is so yummy! Even the mix of Peanutbutter and Jelly with some Nutella on the PB.....I tell ya, its so GOOD.
PB & J on a warm, fresh out of the oven cinnamon raisin bagel
timely as I just had one for lunch. I prefer crust on, toasted oat meal bread with apricot jelly
PB & Syrup. Deelish. Oh, and gotta have an ice-cold glass of milk to wash it down.
peanut butter in the middle of a slice microwaved hot dog = yummy!
PB&J with a healthy layer of plain potato chips (I prefer Lays) squashed between the bread and a tall glass of milk is the way to go.
Nutella with sliced banana rolled up a fresh warm Crepe. Holy burrito Batman !
Funny you should mention this. IHOP had a special Nutella crepes with bananas, chocolate syrup, whipped cream and strawberries. YUM!
peanut butter – jelly – and american cheese – I've eaten that for over 30 years. It's the only way to eat it!
My favorite Creamy PB & J on pancakes!! Jelly of my choice raspberry. Once you try your PB & J this was you will love it.
Honey, I mixed up the nuts! Seriously, I get local honey and the freshest, chunkiest natural PB and mix them together - in the same jar the PB came in... mmmm!! just thinking about it makes me want a BIG spoonful straight up, no (jelly) chaser!
I put 2-3 reeses peanut butter cups on one side of the bread and then strawberry jelly on the other side. Grill that bad boy and you will have a delicious, melty and nutritious sandwich loaded with chocolate, the best peanut butter on the planet and sweet strawberry jelly.... YUM! making one now!
I like making the pb and jelly like normal on any kind of bread pb on one side then jelly on the pb.. then stick it together and grill it like grilled cheese sandwiches.. butter the bread and grill it so its golden brown on both sides yum yum the pb and jelly melt in your mouth thats my favirot way to have the sandwich
I've never had a PB&J. Sounds good.
BLASPHEMY!! You must hie to the nearest market and get thee a jar of JIF and some Smucker's strawberry preserves.
I agree with Kim.
Dave u must stop whatever it is u are going right now, and get yourself to the nearest grocery store. Its an EMERGENCY.
my personal pb&j recipe
white bread – wonder bread or sara lee, usually
regular creamy pb on one side
strawberry jam on the other (not jelly, and no other flavor but strawberry)
to prepare:
toast on both sides in a hot skillet (approximately 30-40 seconds each side)
cut with a fun sandwich cutter to lock in the pb&j as it will be warm and gooey (i have a dinosaur sandwich cutter)
so it's essentially a warm, crusts off pb&j. pair with a glass of milk and you've got a great sandwich for a breakfast on the run or a last minute lunch
Toast is the key. Sourdough preferably.
Creamy peanut butter on one side, and crunchy on the other. Jelly of your choice (I usually go either apple or the good old classic, grape) goes on the side with the creamy peanut butter.
I like to levitate the pb and jelly between the layers of bread so none of the ingredients mix until I put them in my mouth.
I microwave mine for a few seconds then squish it– tastes (and more i mportantly, feels) just like it did after being toted around all day in a paper sack in my bookbag.
Great article! I heart PB!! Whenever I put myself on a low-carb, low-suger diet, one of the best snacks ever is taking 2 low-sugar fudgesicles off the sticks and then mixing in a tablespoon of PB. Mix it up with a spoon until the fudgesicles are almost melted and the PB is distributed throughout the mixture. No joke, it's amazing and doesn't do much damage to the diet. For extra flavor, cut up some fresh strawberries and put them in. YUM!
PB&J is getting me through pregenancy too!! A classic good ol' stand by!
Fresh ground peanut butter, organic honey and a banana on oatmeal or a 7 grain bread. A favorite in-between snack.
I grew up on that sandwich.
Toast with crust on. Jam both sides, crunchy peanut butter in the middle.
Take two preheated waffles, toast them in the oven, spread the PB&J and enjoy!
Who likes potato chips on their PB&J's?? I do!! It adds a better crunch than chunky peanut butter, and for some reason the flavors still compliment (think sour cream & chive or cheddar & sour cream lays).
Crushed up pretzel sticks int he peanut butter are yummy, too.
PB&J with Doritos is awesome
Also, I grew up with my mom putting butter on my pb&j. So when I really want a taste of home I will butter two slices and pb on one side and strawberry jam on the other....
Wegmanns triple fruits jellys are the best, its a flavor trifecta
soft whole wheat bread, creamy skippy and just about any flavor of smuckers . . . I may be known as a total foodie, but deep down I know that it doesn't get any better than that
I Love my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with sour cream and onion potato chips on them!! Dont knock it until you try it! I have turned several of my friends into lovers of that concoction!
Another great variation that I enjoy is to use a flour tortilla rather than regular bread. PB & J rollups are really great snacks. Especially with a giant glass of ice cold milk.
I use two pieces of bread with peanut butter and jelly on each. Rather than making a sandwich though, I like to fold each piece of bread in half and enjoy the overload of peanut butter and jelly on each slice!
At the State Fair of Texas they serve a fried PB&J. It's pretty rich and sweet but not bad. I would still rather have mine non-fried with raspberry jam!
Goobers....yummy!
Oh, and don't forget the elusive PB&Honey. My sister showed me that one just a few months ago. The honey gets a slight crispness to it where it meets the PB, and it has a fantastic flavor/texture.
not only could I eat PB&J every day and be happy, my favorite variation that my mom used to make (and I still do on occasion) is to make the PB&J, then treat it like french toast...dip it in egg/milk and cook it til golden brown on the outside and the inside is all warm and gooey PB&J goodness!
Last weekend I wanted to make a PB&J, but my refrigerator was packed with fresh berries, blocking access to my jars of jelly. I ended up smashing some blackberries onto the peanut butter (chunky!) on my bread and the sandwich was lovely!
Try peanut butter on french toast with syrup. YUM! I love me some PB&J also, but with honey on there as well, with wheat bread!
equal amounts of peanut butter and jelly, crust on, cut diagnolly.
I eat PB & J on a rice cracker due to Celiac.
the poll options are absurd. who puts peanut butter on both sides? then, what, you somehow spread the jam on top of the peanut butter? why in god's name would anyone do that? it makes no sense. if the reason is a desire for more peanut butter, then just apply a thicker layer on the one side. also, cutting the crust off for anyone over the age of five is senselessly wasteful. the question should have involved preference for toasted bread or non-toasted bread. that is the only way we would have derived any worthwhile pb&j-related insight into this crazy world and its inhabitants.
I put the peanut butter on both side when it's a "travel" sandwich so the bread doesn't get soggy from the jelly!
well that's freakin ingenious. i stand corrected. there is a reason to apply peanut butter to both sides. but only for travel sandwiches!!!
Laura – I do the same exact thing! I prepare my lunch in the morning and peanut butter on both stops the bread from getting soggy!
I'm with Laura on this! I put pb on both sides and jam in the middle. Your sandwich doesn't get soggy that way when you pack for lunch! : )
I ran out of jelly the other day and made a PB and maraschino cherry sandwich and it was great!
PB and bacon...guilty pleasure!
Finally - I was thinking I was the only PB & Bacon lover out here!
We had a PB & ? party at work and it was astounding: pickles, mayo, various jams, potato chips, jalapenos, different breads . . . and one tired toaster.
And it goes without saying: FLUFFERNUTTER!!!
My husband says I am "sick and disturbed" because I love peanut butter and bacon sandwiches for breakfast. I thought on my mom and I liked then. Thank you.
Bacon lovers unite!!! Love My PB, bacon,Fluff. The bacon saltyness cuts the sweetness of the Fluff down just right. YUM!!
I have lived in European for the last 4 years and everytime I came back to the US, I would bring various kinds of American Peanut Butter back with me! None of my friends understood it, I tried to explain but you just can't you have to force them to eat it – and they all liked it! My European experiences have also allowed me to improve the PB&J, adding Nutella is amazing and creates another solely American phenomenon, the mixing of Peanut Butter and Chocolate!
I personally love peanut butter, one side, Nutella the other, fresh apricot preserves in the middle! Crust on – fresh baked bakery bread!
Cashew Butter and Raspberry Jelly on toasted crust-on Rye bread, HEAVEN in my mouth :)
ooooh, that sounds good. I'll have to try that!!! Thanks!
No problem I discovered it when that's all I had and was desparate for a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich XD
Enjoy :)
I use three slices of bread. Peanut butter on both top and bottom. Strawbery jam on the bottom set and Grape Jelly/Jam on the top.
Whole-wheat, crusts on, smooth (current favorite is Peanut Butter & Co. "The Bee's Knees"...blended with honey!), with blackberry preserves. For breakfast-to-go I toast the bread and forgo the preserves. But I also have a jar of "Goober Grape" inside the fridge door for a quick fix!
Whoever suggested the fresh strawberry slices, I've gotta try that!
PB on both sides with lots of strawberry preserves ozzing out when you bite into it!! I've tried the PB and banana, don't care for it at all. PB and Nutella is awsome!!!
YUM! There's nothing better than PBandJ on white bread with a glass of cold milk! I will never forget my dad telling me you have to put the PB on both pieces of bread when you bring your PBJ to work or school....so the jelly doesn't soak through and get the bread soggy.
The PERFECT PB&J consists of three slices of bread... PB&J (strawberry only) on the two outer pieces, and crushed Ruffles potato chips sprinkled on everything. My mouth is now watering.
Everyone's forgetting the essentials! A BIG COLD GLASS OF MILKKKK
I like putting PB on bananas. or whip cream on pizza. good stuff.
I can't believe this post has comments let alone 70 of them.
You must be allergic to peanuts. LOL
J/K!
Peanut allergies are a serious thing.
Awesome, just awesome. Thank goodness this thread has not degenerated into the typical banter pointing out frivolous spelling mistakes, calling one another names, and questioning ones education.
PEANUT BUTTER LOVERS UNITE !!! hahaha. God Bless ya.
When I was a kid, I layered any jam, jelly, Fluff, honey, 'cheez-whiz', and preserve spread I could dig out of the fridge...and of course PB always on the other slice. My Grandmother thought I was a psychopath. Ha.
Also, has anyone else tried putting PB on a burger ?? Fantastic !!
pb (gotta be jif-smooth) thick layer on one side of the bread and jam or jelly on the other side...yummmmm. I remember as a kid visiting family in Scotland and asking for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the looks of horror I received...turns out what we call jello they call jelly...lol...once my mom explained, I got all my scottish cousins hooked on pb&j...good times!
why is this news?
because sometimes we get tired of reading about BP/War/Politics/Etc.
Probably for the same reason that there are just as many channels devoted to food as there are to news...
Lighten up, Bryan. It's not intended to be news, but a human interest story. There seem to be a lot of humans who are interested. You must be, too. Otherwise, why waste your time reading it?
Cause' this topic is a breath of fresh air for change. It makes us happy. Don't be too serious. ;-)
I'm all about the toasted bread and blueberry jam. I'll always love grape jelly, but something about blueberry is just delicious!
JIF peanut butter all the way!!
I'd rather have a bowl of Ceviche than a bowl of cereal!!
Oh, and have even eaten PB on yesterday pizza (cold, right from the fridge).
My heart is warmed to see that I'm not the only adult lover of PB & J. I have had PB&J every day for lunch (except when I'm forced to go to a restaurant) for the last 55 years. Unfortunately, white bread is no longer 'healthy', the peanut butter is 'low fat' and the jelly 'lite'. Nevertheless- still my favorite food especially with potato chips (shhhh – don't tell my wife).
Well i was full till i read this. God i wish this day would end because i know what my afternoon snack will be. YAY!!!!
I only like the "real" pb. Not the pb that has the hydrognated oil mixed in the pb – yuck. Nothing but pure mashed peanuts for me.
Crust on, PB one side, jelly on the other. Has to be extra-crunchy PB and strawberry preserves for jelly. A glass of milk and I'm ready to go.
Typically for me, one side is chunky PB, the other is Preserves (not jelly), on whole wheat bread. Don't forget the milk! I tried something different recenly. Take a four tortilla, spread PB on one side, but not all the way to the edges. Spread chocolate hazelnut spread on the other side. Toast in a toaster oven for a few minutes. Squirt some honey on it after toasting. Roll up like a cigar. Scrumptious!
Loved the article. I've missed hearing about PB since focus has been on peanut allergies. Just wish the snobbish editor would have stayed out of the article. The end note would have been enough
Enjoy mine with PB on 1 side (yes to the crust) of heavy bread. Normally add raising or some other dried fruit rather than jelly. Sometimes use honey with that combo as well.
Peanut butter and jelly MIXED together in a cup, then spread on the toasted bread. Yum! ;)
PB, mayonaise, and banana. Crust on!
I HEART PB, mayo, and banana sandwiches!!! Sometimes, I forego the bananas because I either don't have any or am just lazy. Mmm!
I always hated PB&J as a kid, and even up through my 20s, but lately I've taken a liking to them They really are quite versatile!
When I was in grade school, I started making PB&J this way (I think I was influenced by a Sesame Street episode with Ernie). Three slices of white bread- put PB on one slice, cover with a slice of bread and then put jelly (kind of a PB&J club). It's still my favorite way to make it because you can really load up on the Peanut Butter and the Jelly.
They are the easiest and quickest sandwiches to make, delicious, and heart friendly. I eat a PB & J every morning. I serve it up with my homemade strawberry jam on two pieces of whole wheat bread with a big glass of skim milk...YUM! I stay full until lunch. I will eat PB & J's till I die!
I just got my mother-in-law to eat her first pb&j sandwhich in 70 years. I had been telling her for years she should try one (I cant believe she has never had one) and she kept balking at the idea. Well last month she decided to take the plunge and called me after she ate one and said it was devine – now she is eating pb&j on a regular basis!
Ah, nice story! Glad she liked it!
I respect the peanut allergy that many suffer but it is sad that we can't eat our yummy sandwiches openly. I feel like some sort of villian if I transport one from home. That said, it is still one of the tastiest delights that one can indulge in. Long live the PB & J!
I was brought up on PB&J sandwiches – but prefer to blend the PB with the J in a bowl before I spread it out on the bread. it makes the PB much more creamy and less likely to stick to the top of your mouth...most people think I am crazy – but it's like the first time you dip french fries in soft serve ice cream...you never go back!
as a vegetarian mom of mostly vegetarian kids, pb&j is a staple in our house! the kids also love peanut butter spread on toasted cinnamon raison bagels for breakfast. yum!!!
Yeah ... PB&J is one of the two things I could eat all the time, at any time – Crust on, PB on pne side. The other is Pizza!
Peanut butter on one side and pizza on the other? You ARE an adventurous eater!
BTW-yes I know what you meant, I just couldn't resist. =)
That picture for the article has too much jelly. :o
I like the pre-mixed PB and Strawberry jelly in a jar! And I dunk it in milk!
Bananas on PB (or vise versa) is great, too, and great energy for bike rides, as you say, Cat.
Keep the variations coming! They're excellent!
PB&J sandwiches have gotten me through the first trimester of pregnancy and I don't see it changing over the next 6 months...or my lifetime for that matter.
Crunchy PB one side, strawberry jelly the other, crusts on, and regular (not ruffled!) potato chips crunched in the middle. Glass of milk is mandatory!
Wonderful article but you gotta try the triple decker Pb on one side Jelly on the other then on the opposite side PB then the final slice Jelly or reverse order, and top it off with a tall glass of milk. I was wondering what I was going to make for dinner but this article just resolved that issue for me.
I replace out the jelly in the sandwiches with fresh cut strawberries or bananas. :) I have one waiting in the fridge as I type this for some good energy before my evening bike ride. :)
I like 1 tbsp of peanut butter stirred into vanilla or vanilla-caramel ice-cream.
Oh, so good! And you feel satisfied faster with less ice cream.
Try it on a good 6 inch piece of Italian Bread. Or with potato chips pressed in the middle. Yum! Only thing better is a FlufferNutter sandwich!
While I prefer my pb&j on wheat, crusts on, PB on one side and low sugar strawberry jam on the other, a table spoon of PB in chocolate malt-o-meal is great too.
I prefer to mix my peanut butter and jelly (preferably apple) into a creamy blend of goodness and apply generously to one side of the bread...with crust. If you've never mixed your pb & j, give it a try :)
I love to make my PB&J's first with a layer of real butter, then a thick layer of Peanunt Butter (Jif) on one slice of bread and on the other slice of bread a nice layer of some type of preserve. Add a glass of milk with ice cubes......Supper, here I come!
Jif creamy PB, butter (real butter, NOT margarine), homemade strawberry freezer jam on just about any kind of white or whole grain bread. Oh mylanta, my mouth is watering...
PB and dill pickle thin slices!
Yes!!! Those are a family staple in our house.
I ran across this article about an hour after eating my PB&J, on 15 grain bread, crust on, PB on one side, chunky! YUM!!!
I'm a fan, 4 sure!
Now, I want another! :-)
smooth or crunchy pb, jam/jelly, potato chips and bananas. hey, don't knock it until you try it!
make sure you visit the Peanut Butter & Co. sandwich shop in the west village @Thompson Street!! it is FANtastic! :)
http://ilovepeanutbutter.com/
PB and clover honey on a good multi grain bread
Finally, a positive article on a peanut product! This sandwich is as american as apple pie and baseball, but american children are in real danger of not being allowed to enjoy it. There is a growing faction that is desperately trying to get peanuts (and peanut butter) banned from public places in the mistaken belief that there is an epidemic of deadly allergies striking down children left and right. Many schools have already banned peanut products, and now they are trying to force the DOT to ban them on airplanes under the ADA. (http://regulationroom.org/airline-passenger-rights/peanut-allergies/?#3) The truth is, there is no epidemic of allergies – just of hypochondriac over-protective moms. The truth is, life threatening peanut allergies are so rare as to be statistically non-existent. Peanut butter lovers need to band together now to combat this hysterical mob trying to take this wonderful food away from us! No, I'm not being sarcastic, this is real, and if we don't do something about it, our children will no longer be able to enjoy PB&J, peanuts, peanut butter crackers, peanut butter on celery, and any # of other nutritious snack combinations that they would actually eat without being forced.
Howie- you would feel differently about this if you had a child with these allergies. The truth is that peanut allergies are on the rise dramatically, and are generally considered life-threatening due to the very real possibility of anaphylactic shock caused by exposure.
And settle down, for crying out loud! Nobody is trying to take away your PB&J. Rather than instituting outright bans on peanuts, most schools opt to establish 'peanut-free' lunch tables and actually put the onus on the kids with the allergy to sit there and bring Epi-pens to school with them.
Except that the scientific fact is that these allergies are NOT on the rise – baseless paranoia is. Many hyper protective moms confuse an intolerance with an allergy. They are not the same. Also, many of these lunatics think that just because their child got a hive once, the next time they eat a peanut they will die – they will not. I ate PB&J every day in high school. A couple of times I got hives. I just kept on eating and the hives went away. This would be the case with most, but the crazy mom freaks out and want to remove peanuts from the face of the earth Unless you have eaten peanuts in the presence of a doctor, and then tested positive for the IgE antibody, you cannot say whether you are allergic. Also, although there are many urban myths about fatal peanut incidents, the FACT is it does not / has not happened. One in a billion does not an epidemic make. And yes, schools ARE banning them, the last two schools my youngest daughter went to had complete bans.
Take a pill.
Let's talk when one of your kids develops a life-threatening food allergy. Or better yet, when you do.
PB with Apple Butter
PB with Honey
PB with Marshmallow Fluff
The "Elvis" Grilled PB, Honey and Bananas is delicious as well
Mmmmmm......I think I've decided on my dinner!
Mmmm...I was wondering when someone would bring up the "Fluff-a-nutter!" So delicious, but full of calories. I usually stick to organic crunchy PB, jam with seeds (very important to have the seeds), and a yummy whole grain bread.
I'm glad to see another Fluffer out there. PS, try BACON with the Elvis.
First, I have been spoiled my whole life by my grandmother's home-grown rasberries and her jam. Therefore, always jam, not jelly. PB on both sides, whole wheat bread. I buy organic crunchy PB from trader joe's. Best taste/quality for the money.
Salted or no-salt added? I thought salted at first, but after trying the unsalted I have become a fan!
And who needs the extra sodium – unless I am indulging in a movie night with garlic popcorn...melted/blended butter and garlic drizzled over the popcorn, toss together in a large mixing bowl, and serve. Italian delight!
If you're in NYC you should try Peanut Butter & Co. located in Greenwich Village. It's a tiny place and it's usually overrun with NYU students, but the food is good and it's got a nice mom-and-pop atmosphere. (DISCLAIMER: I do not have any professional affiliation with this restaurant, I'm just an ordinary member of the general public making a recommendation.)
Love PB&J on my toasted waffles – had it for breakfast today!
Yes!! Toasted waffles with peanut butter (Jif creamy, please!) and Aunt Jamima syrup is the BEST!
I like pb on pop tarts
Hmmm. Wonder what PB on chocolate pop tarts would be like... May have to try that one. :-)
Kim, PB on strawberry Pop-Tarts helped me survive college!
LOL. I did the mac and cheese thing, and Post Toasties because they were cheap (or a giant box of oatmeal, because it was cheaper). Did you know you can make tomato soup out of hot water and ketchup packets, a little salt and pepper. I at a lot of strange things. :-)
I had peanut butter on my blueberry pop-tart last week.....it was amazing. The banana or apple slices on the sandwich are a great due with peanut butter too. Also, putting pb on both sides with a sprinkle of sugar (splenda) is pretty satisfying too!!!
I like warming up my blueberry pop tarts, then spread with crunchy pb! Yum!
PB & Banana....all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Try Peanut Butter and honey!!! Yummy and natural. Toasted is great too!
No crust, peanut butter, honey, and banana... so yummy!!
I love peanut butter and honey. My little brother always ate peanut butter and molasses which I can do without.
Yes PLease!!!!!
Ditto on that honey...er dear. oh dear. ;-)
Yum! I just had that yesterday for lunch. PB, banana, and honey.
Try grilling it!!!. It's a little bit of ooey gooey heaven!!1
I microwave mine for 39-35 seconds. Delicious.
PB w/ honey on anything. I do like it with apple butter too.
Okay, I know this sounds disgusting, but PB mixed with dark corn syrup, spread on Ritz crackers.
PB on one side, crusts on, and sliced bananas is the way to go. I can do crunchy but perfer creamy PB.
Best food ever, and it got me through college needless to say.
Busboy's & Poet's in DC... PB & Banana w/agave syrup panini. best $7 PB sandwich ever.
I've recenly fallen in love with organic peanut butter – not as sweet as it's jiffy and peter pan cousins, but so so good! There's something really satisfying about looking at the ingredients and seeing only "peanuts, salt." It's like discovering pbj's all over again!
Can you believe my wife likes her jelly all alone on the side without the PB? What a world...
Wonderful. My family (well, my 9 year old daughter and I) have made strawberry and raspberry jam this summer from berries we picked ourselves (first time experiences for both of us). This sandwich is everything- filling, nostalgic, healthy, easy, no refridge required, transportable, inexpensive.... take that foodies!
Love me some PB&J – I like mine with PB on one side, jelly and a few potato chips. I know it does not sound good but boy is it. I have my nephews addicted to this now.
Try Doritos. Different crunch but still yummy.
Or Fritos ... yum
YEEESSSS!!! I'm so glad someone posted that! Also, Cheetos in the middle is great too, but nothing like the Doritos!
I love pb&j with strawberry jell and Lays original chips...crunchy and yummy...I like it with fritos as well.
Ugh...forgot to make myself one to eat as a snack today. Now I am stuck at work reading an article about one. horribleee!!!
Good job Devna. Try one with Nutella and cream cheese sometime. (raspberry cream cheese is especially lovely.)
I don't like peanuts and hate the smell of peanut butter but had to work through it when my son was in second grade and the only thing he would eat for lunch was PB&J, every single day. It's ok we survived.
A great blog, Devna!! Oh, yes. As I read this, I ate a yummy PB&J sandwich (w of crust, pb on one side).
i love adding sliced banana to my pb&j. and does anybody remember the flavored peanut butter called Koogle in the 70's?
I can't remember the name, but there's a gourmet peanut butter brand I've seen at the grocery store that offers different flavors of peanut butter, mostly different chocolate flavors, such as dark chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate with other flavors. It looks really tempting. It's in the peanut butter aisle.
That'd be the Peanut Butter & Co. offerings. And they're INSANE.
Peanutbutter & co. Their peanut butters are amazing. :) I love the peanut butter blended with honey. Recently I picked up white chocolate blended with peanut butter which tastes soo good.
Hazelnut butter is fantastic, as is almond butter. Grilled hazelnut butter and banana sandwich drizzled with honey. oh-ho-ho-ho-ho.
Sounds great! This is one of the "happiest" blogs I've ever read on CNN. Thanks for a fun, lighthearted amidst the domm and gloom.
Gracious – Thank you! We get pretty stark and political fairly often, but strive for a nice balance. Sarah (our associate editor) and I (I'm the managing editor) like to bring thoughtful dialogue to the table, but we're also both really joyful people as well. Food is a great subject to rally around for that. Thanks so much for reading.
I love sliced bananas with peanut butter. I spread peanut butter generously on one side, top it with bananas and sprinkle some brown sugar, put it in the toaster oven to burn the sugar a bit. It's the best!
Great article, gotta love PB&J! I've really gotten into crunchy peanut butter cause it adds an extra bit of texture to the sandwich. And I've been making them on whole wheat english muffins because I heard those have less fat or carbs or something (I should probably check on that though ha)
:)
If you are considering healthy PB&J options, try the Oroweat Sandwich Rounds as each round has: 100 calories, 5g Fiber, 5g Protein. I love to use these as between meal snacks. Slap on some Organic PB and Organic Strawberry Preserves – satisfaction guaranteed!
Expand what you put PB&J on like on top of oatmeal, in a smoothie, on a cookie, a banana. And try Dark Chocolate PB.
I voted that I don't like PB&J in the poll above. Your suggestions makesme rethink that.
I LOVE dark chocolate PB. I also love to make those peanut butter no bake cookies. You know, the ones with oatmeal, PB, butter, milk and cocoa? I use Hershey's Dark Chocolate cocoa powder for mine, and it's fantastic. *wiping up the drool*.
this post makes me want to eat my pb&j (w crust and pb on one side) right now!
I like to mix the PB and jelly (usually grape) together and spread it between two pieces of bread.
Love to mix them too its the best
...almost the equivalent to Goober Grape! :) http://www.smuckers.com/products/details.aspx?groupId=2&categoryId=4&flavorId=38
I thought I was the only one that would mix the 2 on the bread before putting the top on. ~.^ I like it toasted some times too.
I mix my PB & J together in a bowl, then spread onto my toasted pieces of bread, with crust of course. Substituting the jelly for honey is pretty tasty as well.
The PB & Honey is pretty awesome, especially on toasted bread. I like to use good hearty breads, of any type. They can be the nutty type breads, oat breads, whatever. As a kid, I liked grape jelly, now I lean toward blackberry preserves and fresh-ground honey-roasted peanut butter (they have an awesome PB-maker machine at Whole Foods.) Funny how my PBJ has grown up with me ; )
I've never tried this, but how about mixing Peanut butter, honey, and fresh raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries?
Toasted thick-sliced Pumpernickle or Marbled Rye with JIF creamy and Smucker's Strawberry Preserves! A tall glass of cold milk with Chocolate Malt Flavored Ovaltine! Put a couple of Friehofer's Chocolate Chip cookies on the side and I am in heaven!
I like to make honey peanut butter by mixing the two together, then spreading that on one slice of bread; jelly on the other. I'm a big fan of strawberry preserves as the jelly, but you can't go wrong with classic grape either. Always best on nice, soft white bread like Wonder...or Hawaiian sweet bread.
Peanut Butter & lettuce. takes away the dryness without the sweetness of jelly.
I was going to "WTF" you, but then I remembered loading celery with PB (and raisins, "ants on a log"), and it was awesome.
I think someone still needs to WTF you. Some things are just plain wrong. I was about to freak on the Pumpernickle/Marble Rye guy but I think this requires a response. :-) Old school people. Don't mess with a classic. And the lady who mixes it together and then toasts the bread...you're working too hard. Slap it on, MAYBE slice the bread and drink your milk right from the carton if you can get away with it. Remember to wipe the carton though as the PB will obviously get you and your PB breath busted.
I can't believe it! Someone else that puts lettuce on!
Seriously people, don't knock it until you try it. Cept I still use jelly.
I was neither born nor raised in the US. Yet, I feel that PB&J is one of the best snacks or meal that one can have. I didnt start it until recently, and trust me I love it and embrace it with both arms open, and value it like any true American culture.
Long Live PB&J Sandwich!
PB and lettuce (iceberg, to be specific) is a personal favorite of mine. Less likely to stick to the roof of
your mouth than PB on its own. Also: PB and raisins.
A family favorite when I was a kid was PB, lettuce and mayo. I still eat this when I am having a really bad day and it always makes me think of my Grandma. People think it sounds gross but it really is quite tasty.
Peanut Butter & sliced dill pickles! Heaven. Some of us do not like the sweet taste at all.
YES!!! The elusive PB,BLT.
Wow! I'm so excited that there are other non-foodies out there AND that they are as obsessed with PB&J as I am!! I eat this sandwich at least 3 times a week! I even started buying the bulk peanut butter and jelly from one of the wholesale clubs. Thanks...I'm so jammed!
Liking PB&J isn't non-foodie. In fact, it sounds like all of us are aficionados of the creme de peanut. That would make us foodies. :-)
Try Peanut Butter and aslice of bologna. Sweet and salty.
I recommend a vegemite sandwich if you want salty flavor.
Aaaand now that song is stuck in my head!
That's exactly how I use to eat my peanut butter sandwiches, or I would use ham. Either way, DELICIOUS!
OMG. I used to eat peanut butter and bologna sandwiches all the time as a kid. I thought I was the only one. Of course now bologna grosses me out, and I don't think I could do it anymore.
GROSS!!!!!! You really shouldn't mess with a classic like PB&J!
My hubby does this and I just tell him it's a waste of good peanut butter! And he always tells me "don't knock it till you try it", but I don't think I want too O.o
I personally like it with ham, or even turkey-ham. It does give it a little something to counteract the sweet peanut butter.
I love PB&J as well... but please hold the creamy, I want crunchy (peter pan)!
Extra Crunchy......
Quite right, Glenn. I won't come anywhere near the creamy myself. It's an altogether different animal. But I prefer the fresh flavor of Skippy.
And it has to be whole wheat bread. And strawberry jam. It's really weird, because I love myself a good PB&J sandwich, but any variation on these three ingredients (Skippy crunchy, stwbry jam, and WW bread), and I'm out.
I like to take 3 peices of bread and make a triple decker with peanut butter on either side of the middle peice and jelly on the inside of the outer peices. If I am able, one side of peanut butter will be crunchy and the other smooth.
Fantastic idea – I must try that!
That is the smartest idea I heard since the ipad! adding another slice of bread to something that is already perfect takes the sandwhich into its own league, leaving Burgers and Hot Dogs in the dust!!!
Just an FYI....Goober is the best modern way of making the PB&J << That rhymed.
Just had one for a snack last night with Blackberry jam. We used to call them "choke sandwhiches" when i was a kid because if you put too much peanut butter, it felt like they cemented your mouth shut.
peant butter, banana (split by thumb down the center into thirds, never sliced) and raw honey. i eat about three of these a day. sometimes w/ alomond butter spiked w/ roasted flax seed, sometimes w/ sunflower or pestechio butter. sometimes on toast, sometimes not. always on whole grain. with soy milk or coffee, depending. mmmmmm.
I am with you on this bro... used to do these everyday, not much else can compare :)
Want to one up your game?? try doing exactly that but butter the outsides and grill it like a grilled cheese, and if your feeling like a little mor sweet add in cinnamin sugar, amazeing
I had an Elvis PB&B sandwich at Graceland years ago- no wonder that guy was large at the end. I just recently made a regular PB&J, buttered the outside and threw it in a pan to grill. Of course, I go for grape jelly and it was awesome.
I have eaten 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a day for about 20 years. The only way to make them is with Jiff creamy peanut butter, Smuckers strawberry jelly (not jam) and white bread.
White Wonder Bread is a must...
I agree; however, Peter Pan is preferable.
There's a high quality bread full of seeds that can be found at Costco called "Mike's Killer Bread" while it is good with anything it is awesome with PNJ.
Smuckers Strawberry Preserves for me.... and sometimes I put Pringles potato chips inside my sandwich – awesome crunch! Jif PB creamy for me always!!!
I'm a Skippy girl myself. I have peanut butter and grape jelly at least twice a week. My dad must have it every other day and he is 71.
The food of the Gods! :-)
Simply the best! I've been eating them for 35 years! Smooth peanut butter and raspberry jam...mmmm.
In fact I had one today at lunch time in my office.
Smooth Jif with Smucker's Raspberry Perserves. I bet I eat this 3 times a week.
Non-foodies unite!!
I wanna go to my house and stick my spoon into the pb jar & lick away... i might give some to my dog cookie too she loves it
Ahhhhh....sliced sour dough with PB&J on one side and mayo on the other! The BEST.
I love PB&Js!! I am very particular about making them though: I spread the peanut butter (on one slice) and the jelly (on the other) all the way to the edge (crusts on), then make sure I have the right ratio of PB to J, so that one doesn't overpower the other. Delicious! I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but I also enjoy peanut butter and butter sandwiches, although lately I've been eating this on bagels; the toastedness helps melt the butter, and it is amazing!
I have been eating PB and butter on toast or bagels since I was a little boy. The melted butter and Creamy Jif combo is 2nd to none! I enjoy a nice fresh loaf of wheat bread with PB and butter, or any kind of jelly as well, but in the morning PB and butter is a must!
try it on an english muffin........I love Bay's english muffins....... yummy!!!
Try Peanut Butter with Honey and sunflower kernels on a flour tortilla (or bread, whichever you would prefer). Delicious!
I like mine w/crust, butter and pb on one side jelly on the other ;) mmmmm!
Of course we Americans would have not just one but four sandwiches on a plate to eat. Hey I got an idea, how about you spread some sugar on top of it and then some molasses and then on top of that more sugar. Should be kill our kids now or do it slowly by the junk we feed them?
PB on both sides, half on each side though, then jelly on the other havles – alternate the halves. This gives you PB/J half each on the whole sandwich....bite down the middle, PB/J....bite on the sides, only J or PB.
that was the most ridiculous article ever. does this person actually get paid to write this trash. yea, because the PB&J sandwich options are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO countless. actually, i think you listed all the options there. i cant believe i made it half way through the article.
Wow-what made you so grouchy!? Funny how you're complaining about, or should I say aboot, the article and then take the time to write about what a waste it was.....your post was a waste of my time and I can't believe I read it!
Hey Clown – get a life. Do you really get that riled up over a peanut butter and jelly article? I suggest taking another maple syrup shot and focusing on your amazing curling career.
i eat pb&j everyday for lunch at work. the best is smuckers natural and bonne maman cherry jam. trader joes has a good cherry jam too.
ever tried it grilled. elvis special – grilled pb and banna sandwich. very tasty.
YUM!
MY FAV. IS PUTTING PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY WITH A SLICE OF BOLOGNA AND PUT IT ON THE GEORGE FORMAN GRILL.
I love peanut butter and jelly. But my favorite way is peanut butter on one side (with the crusts on) and apple butter on the other. So YUMMY! Or peanut butter and banana sandwich or peanut butter and Granny Smith apple andwich. I could go on an on.....
I love extra crunchy pb and sweet pickles on toast,has been afavorite of mine for the past 30 years. Grandkids still thinks it yucky...but I will persevere!
this is my take on a classic pb&j. lightly butter both sides of the bread, jiff creamy peanut butter on one side, sometimes cruntchy peanut butter! i don't have a huge prefrence on jelly since i like so many, but obviously that goes on the other side. Hands down the one sandwhich i can always count on to be satisfying. OH! and in the winter i will make the sandwhich and grill it like one would do for a grilled cheese, talk about awesome!
Have you ever tried grilled pb with homemade spicey peach jam?????? TO DIE FOR!!
I’ve eaten a PBJ just about every day since I could eat solid food. That’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,500 sandwiches. As I type this, a delicious combo of Skippy creamy, Welch’s Concord grape and two slices of whole wheat bread sits in my backpack waiting to be devoured at noon. Family, friends and coworkers are puzzled by my lack of adventure when it comes to food. “Don’t you get sick of eating the same thing every day?” they ask. I can honestly say that, no, I don’t. I love PBJ. Simple,familiar and every day it tastes a teeny bit better.
I love to treat my kids to our high carb PB creation on cold days. PB, honey, sliced banannas, Bacon, with marshmelow fluff on tosted bread of course. Bacon. . .because every thing is better with bacon. Sorry Vegies. . .