The grilled cheese sandwich and the PB&J are two load-bearing beams in our national sandwich culture: elemental, fundamental, the "make do with whatever you have in the kitchen" preparations that have provided the basis for countless lunches and dinners. The grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then? It's such an overwhelmingly sensible idea — inevitable, even — that it's a wonder you don't see it all over the place. It's as simple as it sounds: All you need is the bread of your choice, the nut butter of your choice (peanut butter is just the beginning), and whatever jam you have on hand.
As with a grilled cheese, you'll assemble this sandwich, spread butter on its exterior, then heat it on a skillet until it's brown and crisp on the outside, gooey and delectable within. And just like its savory cousin offers endless room for customization — , anyone? — this sweet-ish sandwich can be a springboard for culinary creativity: You can add fresh fruit, play around with different combos of nut butter and jelly, and even reintroduce cheese back into the equation. Think PB&J is plain and pedestrian? Think again.
The grilling of the peanut butter and jelly The procedure is basically the same as it is for a grilled cheese: First, assemble your PB&J. Many folks prefer equal parts nut butter and jelly (about 2 tablespoons of each), though, of course, a sandwich is all about personal preference. You'll then want to spread some kind of fat on the outside of the sandwich to give.