Day 3 - GRILLED Peanut Butter and Jelly

For the second day in a row, the sandwich recipe calls for a different take on the old lunchbox classic sandwich, peanut butter and jelly.  Today is a decidedly less healthy approach that conjures up images of Elvis.  Yes, it’s the sweet lunch treat peanut butter and jelly with all the savory preparation of a grilled cheese.  Elvis used to eat these all the time, except he would either substitute or add banana (and when it came to Elvis’s 1970s waistline it didn’t matter, did it?).  I hesitated on this one, but in the end I just had to try it.  The preparation is fairly simple and is pretty much what you would think – a PBJ sandwich with both outer sides of the bread buttered and then grilled.  When you start, it looks something like this photo on the left.

I found that medium heat works best and it only takes about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side before you

get that nice golden brown coloration.  From there I used a paper towel to wrap it before I put it into a Ziplock bag.  I figured this would cut down on the slipperiness when I went to eat it later.  The paper towel worked well, although the bread was definitely a bit greasy by lunchtime.  Here it is after the first two bites (photo on right).

The verdict?  I really can’t recommend this one for packing into your lunchbox.  If you want a PBJ, I say just make one.  Or if you want it with a fun twist, go for yesterday’s recipe.  But the grilled PBJ definitely loses its appeal when it sits around.  That being said, it’s probably a great after-school or after-work treat, but even then…it’s kinda like those chocolate chip pancakes that you see at IHOP.  Sure it would be a little better, but do you really want that much of a gutbuster?  I guess I’m trying to say that it’s a bit of overkill, kinda like a fried twinkie.  After this one, I’m ready to get back to some healthier choices.  Maybe I’ll even pack a salad pod, although I better hurry.  Stay tuned!

Photo courtesy of Muhammad Ragab from Pixabay