For me? To eat right now?...I slap a thick layer of PB on a piece of bread....and I prefer a good whole wheat, spread grape jelly on the PB and top with the other piece of bread, and cut diagonally.
For a kid's lunch box, I spread PB on both slices of the bread, so the jelly doesn't soak in.
I also have a serious addiction to peanut butter on graham crackers.....so serious I try not to keep graham crackers in the house....
Linda C

As a kid, I was a peanut butter purist. Either a peanut butter sandwich or a jelly sandwich. A PBJ? Quelle horreur !

Of course, a meat sandwich was meat, bread & mustard. A cheese sandwich was cheese, bread, & mustard.

Now, I did learn to like all the sandwich stuff over the years, and even branched out into things like sauerkraut, roasted red bell peppers etc...my husband never quite knows what might turn up in his sandwich at lunchtime. :D

But still, I don't really care for PBJ sandwiches. I like peanut butter toast or English muffin, but keep the jam on the side, dripping a small blob of it on an occasional bite.

I always put PB on both pieces of bread and sandwich the jelly between them.

And actually, I usually use honey instead of jelly.

I haven't eaten a P&J sandwich in years (and I mean years) but I do love them. When I did make them, peanut butter went on one slice of white bread and jelly (strawberry) went on the other slice and then put together.

Now...bring on celery and peanut butter and I am there!:)

Well, I used to make them the way my mother did, with PB spread on one piece of bread, then the other piece spread with butter then grape jelly, and put together. The first time my DH made me a PBJ sandwich, he buttered both pieces of bread and I quite liked that. So now I butter both pieces. There isn't any grape jelly here so I like blueberry jam or redcurrant jelly best. And of course, the PB HAS to be crunchy, or supercrunchy.
Funny story: When we first came to Oz, in 1969, a lady in a shop asked my mother how to make PBJ sandwiches, as her son saw kids in US TV shows eating them and he wanted one. PBJ sandwiches are still pretty unknown here. Anyway, my mother remembered they called PB "Peanut Paste" here, so she said, "Well, you put peanut paste on one piece of bread and butter and jelly on another and put them together." Mom souldn't understand why the lady looked a little green, until we realised some time later that in Oz, "jelly" (unless qualified by a descriptor) is what Americans call Jell-O, so she had described to the woman's mind how to make a PB and Jell-O sandwich :-P

Mother always stirred the peanut butter and grape jelly in a bowl until well blended and spread on the bread.

Soooooo that's the way I do it. Only with grape jelly.

glenda did you know that they sell peanut butter & jelly mixed in a jar together? LOL! When that came out I had to laugh.

Slightly off topic and I apologize but it is bringing back memories...we loved making jelly sandwiches (grape) with crushed potato chips on white bread.

And then the yummy "fluff sandwiches." Peanut butter with marshmellow fluff. Pure heaven!

Short answer: I don't. I prefer peanut butter and banana slices.

Now I will have to try a PBJ - all those people who love them can't be wrong.

I just made one this morning. It's Kellan's favorite sandwich for school lunch.

whole grain white bread, Jif Creamy heavy on one side and "clean" off the knife on the other..And because I forgot to take some strawberry freezer jam out the last time I used it all up for him, I had to 'scrape' bits of it off and drop it on the sandwich. LOL But usually I grab a spoon ful and smear it on with the back of the spoon.

Now Kamren...he only like his with peanut butter..
and Kellan's must be ONLY mom's strawberry freezer jam.

Being from Cuba, I had never even heard of a PB & J. Fast forward about zpt* years, and two kids later ... I learned all about peanut butter sandwiches and even liked them.

While I haven't had one in a while, I still make them for Thumper, who's quick to pay obeisance to this great American staple, and me.
Btw, like Suzy, I also use honey instead of jelly.

Sol

Like Colleen I think buttering both slices of bread very important.

For a real bomb pbj it has to be grilled with a little chocolate syrup in it. Pretty much has to be eaten from a plate with a fork. I don't make them often because they must have 1000 calories. When the craving hits there is no substitue. Eats more like a desert then lunch.

I ran out of gooseberry jam and had to switch to orange marmalade. Raspberry is a favorite and grape at the bottom of the list.

: )
lyra

Crunchy peanut butter on one side, real butter on the other and any variety of homemade jams.

To die for:
Toasted WW bread
Peanut Butter
Butter
And........Jessica's Vanilla Fig Preserves!

It's like a giant Fig Newton! And, yeah, you can call it dinner!

Deanna

Rachel we would have gotten along great - I never wanted peanut butter on mine.

When I was little, I asked for a "peanutbutterandjelly sandwich without any peanut butter, please..."

I like butter on mine too. and it's usually jelly right on top of the peanut butter - then top with bread - but I guess, I could do it either way - whichever seems to make more sense at the time.

Oh and love honey. but gotta have the peanut butter with it.

Stacy

1. Good bread. Whole wheat or multigrain, toasted, still warm.

2. Crunchy peanut butter, preferably the old fashioned kind without emulsifiers or other junk added. Gotta stir it up.

3. For the sweet part, I prefer something with a little more tang than grape jelly. Peach, strawberry or apricot preserves are good.

As far as technique, I spread one slice with PB, the other slice with J, and slap 'em together.

Someone mentioned peanut butter & banana--love 'em.

An oddball sandwich which tastes a lot better than it sounds is peanut butter and bacon.

My boys also love FluffnNutters..and the oldest only will eat PB&J with Grape Jelly..not Jam, Jelly...and preferably Welches.

When I was a kid my cousin and I would make PB and Marshmallow Melts..
2 slices of white bread, peanut butter on one side, top with giant marsmallows cut in half(otherwise they would fall over), sticky side down, microwave, just until the marshmallow started to expand, pull out, smoosh the other piece of bread on top and eat...lick chin, fingers and use a wet paper towel to clean up face and hands...

LOL

Didn't know we were talking aboug "variations" on the theme....
My late husband loved peanutbutter and pickle, bread and butter pickles, grilled....And was also known to eat a peanutbutter and mayo sandwich...not grilled.
Now if you are talking grilled peanut butter, I like it with some chocolate chips and a few mini marshmallows....and grilled until it oozes...
Yeah!!
Linda C

Oh gosh, Arley, I forgot about PB and Bacon. I love them! I have to make one soon.

I forgot that my ultimate PBJ is made on raisin bread. I can't even buy raisin bread because I will live on PBJs until the loaf is gone.

I also love PB and banana. Have you ever tried spreading PB on a sliced banana? You can't -- you have to kind of blob it on.

My mom made fluffer nutters on Ritz crackers for us. I'd squish it and lick around the edges.

Love pb and bacon on toast!

For those who like peanut butter and banana, try cutting the banana in half lengthwise and again in the middle then spread peanut butter, put top and bottom together, wrap in foil and freeze for a great snack!

I'm with Netla - don't think I have ever eaten a PBJ, not even as a child. But I do like the occasional PB & banana: a thin layer of PB on both slices of bread, banana cut in round slices and laid on one slice, drizzle of honey (orange blossom is my fav) all over the banana, top with the other slice of bread/PB, cut into half, then half again to make 4 little square sandwiches. A glass of milk and you are set!

I just spread the peanut butter on one piece of the bread and the jelly on the other. Then slice diagonally. I don't care what brand the peanut butter is, but it can't be crunchy. And, it's gotta be the sweet stuff. None of that nasty "natural" carp that doesn't have any sugar. Again with jelly, it doesn't matter what brand but it must be grape. Bread should be Merita white. I had a pbandj sandwhich on some homemade honey wheat bread and I just couldn't wrap my mind (or tongue) around the way it tasted! Will not ever do that again.

I've heard of peanut butter and banana before, but never bacon!

I like my PB&J on a toasted English Muffin, buttered and then peanut butter on one half, grape jelly on the other. Smoosh together and pour a tall glass of ice cold milk. The warm muffin makes the peanut butter all ooey gooey and delicious!

PB on one side, J on the other. Why? So the utensil stays clean enough to get another glop.

I make one almost every day for my 3 year old. Whole grain bread (she won't try white and I won't force that), natural (but salted) peanut butter, and usually apricot preserves (it doesn't stain). TJ's reduced sugar preserves are pretty good.

I don't care much for jellies or jams, so my favorite peanut butter sandwich consists of some sort of whole wheat/whole grain bread, toasted; then natural, old fashioned creamy peanut butter (Laura Scudder's or Adam's) spread on one side; and finally butter followed by cream cheese spread on the other side. Sometimes I'll put one together for me and my husband to share in lieu of dessert.

Very interesting Glenda. I wonder if that's the way it used to be made? The reason, dh asked me years ago when I made some pbj sandwiches "don't you mix it all together first? That's the way mother always made them."
I thought it was funny but it may be an old timey way. His mother is 83 now and from rural SC.

Anyway, since my dad moved in with us 8 years ago, he has eaten a pbj sandwich every day. His choice. Oh, once in a great while it differs but I have made hundreds of sandwiches for him all the same way "peanut butter first, jelly on top. All Great Value -WalMart brand.
I made him switch eight years ago to 100% whole wheat. He complained for awhile but eventually got used to it.
The sandwich always has an accompanying banana and sometimes, a cookie.

My husband is a fiend for peanut butter...actually, in our house it is called "peenie bunkle" for some reason.

He must have the natural type, so when I bring him home a jar, there's a big production of him scooping it out of the jar and blending it before putting it back in, so the oil isn't separated anymore.

Then he mixes the "peenie bunkle" with either one of my jams or honey in a bowl to make his sandwich...he says the jam or honey doesn't soak through the bread that way.

He disdains my Jiff or Skippy, unless he runs out of his "good stuff", in which case mine is not safe. I rarely get more than a sandwich or two out of mine unless I hide it.

The kitten (now almost a cat) loves peanut butter as well, with or without honey or jam. She sits on my husband's desk when he has a morning English muffin, waiting politely (but expectantly) for him to give her a finger full...or several.

PB on one side grape jelly on the other was the way we made them.

We did start adding potatoe chip or cheetos for the crunch factor later in life. Yum! PB on toast with bacon...yes....grilled PB&J ...yes. Lindac's is sounding pretty good tonight. Guess what I'm have for my late night dinner tonight???

David

I'm 68, so mixing pb and grape jelly, is NOT the way you purchase now. Stir until it is all blended, not swirled as in the jars, nowadays.

PB&J, the perfect bedtime snack. Whole grain bread, PB on, then the jam, next slice on top and cut. Serve with a diet coke and potato chips.

A chocolate chip bagel with PB is pretty darn good too in the morning. Warm bagel and the PB melts perfect with the chips.

And the PB must be Jiff creamy.

I didn't know it was possible to eat a peanut butter sandwich without homemade raspberry jam.

Actually, to cut the calories, how about leaving out the bread and having superchunk peanut butter with homemade raspberry jam . . . in a bowl?????!!!!!!

What? No one has mentioned the forzen crustless ones you can buy? (I'm JOKING!)

And Carol? If you're reading, I really don't think my PB and mustard with crackers is any more odd that PB and spicles or PB and bacon. So there. :)

I prefer PB and honey. But for a PB&J, I like raspberry or strawberry preserves. Never could deal with grape jelly. I like my grapes either frozen or in a wine glass. :) And I have eaten more than my share of PB and banana...although I really prefer just banana and mayo (which I think must be a southern thing.)

OK, start with good bread -- a mild sourdough or a whole grain bread is my fave. Adam's PB on one piece, raspberry preserves on the other. Cut in half. Eat the crusts first and if no one is looking, squish the bread together. IF PB and Honey, you have to put the PB on both pieces or you have a mess.

Another who loves butter on my PB&J sandwich. Butter both sides, then smear smooth peanut butter on one side and homemade raspberry jam on top of the PB. Cover with the other slice of bread and cut in quarters on the angle.

If I'm eating PB on an English muffin I will sometimes top with honey instead of jam. If it's PB on a bagel then just butter and PB.

Love PB and banana sandwiches on really fresh white bread can't recall the last time I had one but I sure have a craving now!

Mmmm PB&Js. I keep a jar of organic creamy PB and organic fruit spread (I hate all the sugar) in the fridge. But my idea of heaven is with the chocoholics - PB, chocolate, and banana.

Think my inlaws would mind if I served that for our Sabbath dinner? I'm sorta drawing a blank right now...

Toast white bread, butter while warm. Slather on the PB, dribble on the jelly or jam. Eat open-faced with a glass of milk or a cuppa milky tea. Smile!

A variation on the peanut butter/bacon combo: add thinly sliced apple to the sandwich. Wonderfully decadent.

I never liked PBJ as a kid - too mushy, always got stuck in the roof of my mouth. As a grown-up (??) I like toasted bread or english muffin with crunchy peanut butter and jam -open faced, no lid. Not picky about the jam, as long as the jar hasn't been in the fridge so long that it's got mold growing in it.

We toss about half of the bread and jam that comes into our house because we don't eat it fast enough before the mold starts. Not big into PBJ's here.

seagrass

Like some others, I'd prefer peanut butter and honey but my favorite is actually peanut butter and Miracle Whip. Any white or wheat bread will do, but it has to be homemade.

As for peanut butter and jelly, I'll use any kind of jam or jelly that I have stored in the basement, I always have homemade. I spread peanut butter on one slice of bread, spread some jelly on top and fold the slice of bread in half. It's my "eat anything you want but only eat half" diet, LOL.

Ashley likes hers on white bread, butter on the outside of each slice of bread, and grill it until the peanut butter melts.

We both require Peter Pan Honey Roasted, and most times I skip the bread and the jelly and just eat it right off the spoon.

Annie

As quickly as possible, while trying not to breathe. At least that's how I did it when I had little kids. I haven't had to do it since then.

I also do not like jam or jelly with peanut butter, but I have had an occasional peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Once a friend of mine made me a PBJ sandwich on pumpernickel on a camping trip, and I told him I couldn't eat jelly that early in the day (it was lunchtime) because of my hypoglycemia. A fellow camper traded a ham and swiss sandwich for it, but our entire lunch got quickly abandoned when I spotted a fierce-looking marmot and screamed to everyone to run for their lives! Unfortunately we were on a steep cliff at the time, but everyone got off safely.

Lars

Did they land safely?

I prefer Jif creamy peanut butter and soft spongy store bought bread (the kind that everybody here hates; BTW, I only like it for BLT's and PBJ's) Never ever do I use grape jelly. We are not big jelly fans here. Hate grape jelly, but love Booberry's grape jam. (It is gone Boo, sob sob). I also do not use strawberry. It's my least favorite jam. We use apricot or plum or red reaspberry or orange/grapefruit marmalade or anything but strawberry. And, to be honest, I prefer the peanut butter without any jam. Then I put the PB on very thin, clean the knife on the 2nd slice of bread, and smash the bread. Just like a little kid. If I use jam, the jam is very thinly spread on the 2nd slice of bread and there is no smashing involved.
Dang. Whoda thunk that making PBJ's was an "art?"

Detired:
Have you ever tried putting a thin layer of Peanut Butter on both pieces of bread ?
Then the Jelly or Preserves in between, It won't soak into the Bread as much.
LOU

Two favorites:

lightly toasted rye bread, chunky PB, strawberry jam

sourdough bread, creamy PB, HOT pepper jelly

I'm just finishing a peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwich now... inspired by this thread. It's rather interesting. My mouth keeps wondering where the jelly is!

Chunky peanut butter and raspberry jam, grilled. Now that is heaven. My father used to make us peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. Good. My variation is almond butter and Canadian bacon. I also like peanut butter, butter and honey sandwiches but haven't had any of those in years.

So many variations on a theme! Who'd a thunk it. I never thought of grilling a PBJ but I'll try it now. I'll have to try a lot of these!

Oh man, I love PB&J sandwiches...but recently i discovered something better--Almond Butter and Honey sandwiches. YUUUUM. I use whole grain bread, put crunchy almond butter on one side, raw honey (not heated honey) on the other, then put the slices together. SOOO delicious, and very good for you!

Here is a link that might be useful: My food blog!

I like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but peanut butter must be on both sides with the jelly in the middle. I like most jellies but really like black raspberry. Like someone else said the jelly won't soak into the bread if there is peanut butter on each side.

Sue

Peanut butter on one side of wheat bread, jelly on the other, and then cut up into "popcorn" size bites, crust and all. LF will eat anything that's that size. I, on the other hand, will not eat PBJ (burned out from childhood). I will eat a peanut butter slathered on a piece or three or four of smooshy white bread with a large large glass or two of chocolate milk, when I'm in the mood (once every couple of years or so). Normally, I don't eat any bread, ever. Now if I could just quit eating sugar as well...

I'm also not a PBJ fan, but peanut butter spread open face on a piece of bread and put under the broiler until it is slightly dark and very gooey--that's good (although I don't think I've had it since I was a kid)!

My Dad's favorite is peanut butter, jelly and lettuce sandwiches--he says the lettuce keeps the peanut butter from sticking to the roof of his mouth.