One of my favorite things to do is to combine ingredients in such a way that a classic dish is recreated into something new … yet it’s still familiar. Take the peanut butter sandwich. We all know you can add jelly or bananas with honey. But what else? Over the years, I’ve come up with some crazy concoctions, and some of my favorites are making their debut here today. Check out these three ways to answer the “what else goes with peanut butter?” question!
The Pad Thai Peanut Butter Sandwich
Yum. Pad Thai, that classic dish of rice noodles, tamarind, cilantro, garlic, green onions and lime juice. Some people add shrimp, others chicken or meat, and still others stick with tofu. Pad Thai recipes also vary widely with some being more sweet, some more peanut-y and others simply a lighter version with crushed peanuts across the top. Similarly, with this sandwich version, use your protein of choice and vary for the sweetness you desire. One thing is sure, this jazzed-up peanut butter sandwich is delicious.
Use chunky peanut butter and add cilantro, celery, carrots, green onion, chicken and Sriracha. Squeeze lime juice over it all, if you prefer. Also, if you add mayo, it’s really good and adds some moisture. Just trust me. (But even if you leave off the mayo, it’s great!)
Here’s the Pad Thai peanut butter sandwich cut in half and ready to eat.
The Pad Thai peanut butter sandwich … it’s a thing …
Peanut Butter, Bacon, Apple & Honey
I grew up watching my dad eat peanut butter and bacon sandwiches, so I do have a natural affinity for combining bacon and peanut butter. The addition of thinly sliced apples and honey, on an oatmeal bread, makes this sandwich completely satisfying. I prefer Granny Smith apples, but use your favorite variety. Try adding Brie cheese for a delightful flavor combination. This sandwich is a good one for a picnic, as it doesn’t get too soggy.
This peanut butter, apple, bacon and honey sandwich is eye-catching and tasty!
Depending on how many apples you use, this sandwich can get tall. When you cut it in half, you may want to use toothpicks to keep it together.
The Ultimate Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
We featured this sandwich on its own last year, as it’s just a surprising burst of flavors. It consists of peanut butter, cherry preserves, roasted jalapeño and bacon on white bread. As a recap to my family’s reactions when eating it, here you go:
Husband: “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever had … Please don’t leave these all by me because I’ll eat them all.”
Son: “This is the best thing EVER. I mean, Mom, this is the bomb. It’s peanut butter, it’s bacon, it’s spicy … how did you THINK of this? This is nuts.”
Daughter #2: “I’m not sure about this. Okay, I’ll try it [makes faces as she tries first bite]. It’s okay. Wow, it’s spicy. Well, actually, this is pretty good. It’s random, but this is really good. Where did you hear about this?”
Daughter #1: “I’m not trying it.”
This really is a “bet you can’t just take one bite” type of sandwich. You’ll polish it off and think about eating another …
As you can see, I made a LOT of these. They were all eaten with just crumbs to show for my efforts, along with the happy family.
To see the entire article devoted to this one sandwich, check it out here.
So, how do you eat your peanut butter sandwiches? With mayo? With pickles? With American cheese? We want to know! Email us at [email protected] and we’ll follow up with some of the craziest and yummiest combinations we hear of!
