There's always something new to do with peanut butter sandwiches

Peanut Butter Sandwiches The 4-year-olds in Miss Ronette's class at the Head Start program in Peoria, Ill., seem momentarily stumped.

They can't understand why a fast-food chain like McDonald's doesn't offer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. PB&Js are, after all, the original kids happy meal.
"I eat one every day for breakfast," exclaims Keaja Davis.

"Because they're so good," interrupts her classmate, Damony Thompson.

"And I make my own," Latavia Craig adds proudly. "I put the jelly on the bread, then I put the peanut butter on it and I eat it all up."

The basic peanut butter and jelly sandwich is one of those timeless classics, so standard that it's easy to overlook, take for granted, ignore.

The recipe is so simple even a 4-year-old can slap one together. Cheap and non-perishable, it is made for the basic brown-bag lunch.

Besides, "they're just so kid-friendly," says Frank Abdnour, owner of the Spotted Cow, which offers them on the menu.

But the fact that PB&Js are often relegated to kids' menus at restaurants, if on the menu at all, is one more measure of the sandwich's undeserved, lowly place on the food chain.

"It's pretty rare for an adult to order one," Abdnour says. "I bet I don't get five a year."

That's because adults rarely order them in restaurants, except for maybe at Peanut Butter & Co., the New York City restaurant known for flavored peanut butters - say, cinnamon-raisin swirl, dark chocolate or spicy - and a decadent version of Elvis' favorite grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich.

As classics go, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have their weaknesses.

Mainly, they're a sticky combination. Peanut butter sticks to the roof of the mouth, but the stickiness of peanut butter and jelly combined manages to offset that weakness.

Another is the jelly. Nothing but empty calories, says Marjorie LaFont, registered dietitian and educator at University of Illinois Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Program.

A 4-tablespoon serving of peanut butter is high in fat - 16 grams to be exact. But three-fourths of that is healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, LaFont says.

Peanut butter is also high in protein and a significant source of vitamin B, iron, potassium and magnesium.

IT'S IN THE BREAD

The type of bread used, white or whole wheat, makes more of a difference, health-wise, than the perennial crust or no crust debate. But nutritional matters notwithstanding, the real debate involves attempts to create a peanut butter-and-something combination capable of competing with peanut butter and jelly.

"You don't have to put jelly on a PB&J," LaFont says. "We make happy faces with raisins, grated carrots, dried cranberries and sliced bananas."

Not only are there any number of variations on the standard peanut butter and jelly sandwich, there are an increasing number of choices in nut butters. (Not a bad idea for those allergic to peanuts). Health food stores sell sunflower seed, almond, cashew and macadamia nut butters.

At the forefront of the peanut butter-and-something-else movement is J.M. Smucker Co., makers of jelly and Jif peanut butter.

Smucker has sponsored the "Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich" contest for five years. Smucker started the contest to "foster creativity" among children, according to a representative. This year, children 6 to 12 submitted more than 1,000 recipes.

The 10 finalists, created recipes ranging from Jif Taco to Peanut Butter Rolls Sushi Style and Peanutti Panini. For more information about Smucker's Great PB&J Promotions, visit their Web site ( www.smuckers.com/promotions/great_american_pbj/details.asp).

Here are 10 recipes from the 2007 Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest:

PEANUT BUTTER ROLLS "SUSHI STYLE"

1 (8-inch) crepe

5 tablespoons strawberry cream cheese

5 tablespoons peanut butter

40 (1/4-inch-thick) slices fresh strawberries

6 (1/2-inch-thick) slices banana

1 tablespoon granola

2 long pretzel rods (to use as chopsticks)

1 small container chocolate yogurt (for dipping sauce)

Yields 1 serving.

Spread cream cheese over crepe. Top with peanut butter and smooth over cream cheese. Sprinkle strawberries and bananas over peanut butter. Top with granola. Roll up sushi-style and chill in refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut rolls. Use pretzel rods as chopsticks and dip in yogurt.

- Alexandra Yoder, 11, Fort Wayne, Ind. (Grand prize winner)

JIF TACO

1 medium pancake

2 to 3 tablespoons Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

1 to 2 tablespoons cream cheese

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/2 of kiwi, sliced

3 strawberries

Yields 1 serving.

Take pancake and spread peanut butter on 1 side. In small bowl, mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar; spread on top of peanut butter. Fold pancake like a taco and place sliced kiwi all around top edge like lettuce. Put sliced strawberries on top of taco like tomatoes. Pick it up and eat it like a taco.

- Anah Witt, 7, Mount Horeb, Wis.

ROCKING RAINBOW PB&J

1/2 of whole-wheat pita

2 tablespoons Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

1 tablespoon strawberry jam

Strawberry slices

Mandarin orange slices

Kiwi slices, quartered

Blueberries

Yields 1 serving.

Place peanut butter inside pita and spread it around. Spread jam on top of peanut butter. Spread thin layer of peanut butter on (outside) top of pita and decorate outside of pita with the fruit to look like rainbow with strawberries in an arched line for red, oranges below in arch for orange, kiwi for green and fill in remainder with blueberries.

- Sarah Ralston, 6, New Albany, Ohio

FRENCH BERRY JIF TOAST

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

2 slices Texas White Bread

4 tablespoons Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

4 fresh strawberries, sliced

Whipped Cream

Yields 1 serving.

In bowl, whisk together eggs and milk; set aside.

Spread 2 tablespoons peanut butter on each bread slice. Top 1 slice with strawberries. Place other slice on top of strawberries to make sandwich. Dip sandwich in whisked egg. On hot griddle over medium heat, cook sandwich 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned. Flip sandwich and cook other side 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned. Serve sliced on plate and topped with whipped cream.

- Brandon Hester, 12, Virginia Beach, Va.:

TEXAS ROLL 'EM UP

1 flour tortilla (taco size)

2 tablespoons Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream (for serving)

For salsa:

1 (11-ounce) can Green Giant Mexicorn

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16-ounce) jar chunky salsa (mild or medium)

For guacamole:

2 medium avocados, skinned and pitted

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash of salt

Yields 9 servings.

In medium bowl, mix Mexicorn, black beans and salsa sauce; set aside.

In medium bowl, stir together until smooth avocados, lemon juice, garlic and salt; set aside.

Spread Jif Peanut Butter onto tortilla, spread 1/3 cup salsa sauce onto peanut butter. Roll up tortilla. Cut in 1/2. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.

- Julie Dosher, 7, Channahon, Ill.

PEANUT BUTTER DUMPLING

1 Pillsbury buttermilk biscuit

2 tablespoons Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

1/4 apple, chopped

15 almond slices

15 raisins

Dash of cinnamon

Yields 1 serving.

Roll out biscuit flat. Spread peanut butter on biscuit leaving room on edges. Place chopped apples, sliced almonds (reserve 3 for top) and raisins on peanut butter. Fold over biscuit and pinch edges closed. Place 3 sliced almonds on top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.

- Danielle Sikora, 10, St. Louis.

CARAMEL APPLE TURTLE TREAT

1 multigrain English muffin

2 tablespoons Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

1 tablespoon Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter

2 tablespoons caramel apple dip

1 tablespoon vanilla yogurt

1 large Granny Smith apple

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

5 whole pecans

Yields 1 turtle.

Toast English muffin.

In small bowl, mix together Jif Peanut Butters, caramel apple dip and yogurt.

Cut apple in 1/2. From one 1/2, cut and dice several slices (about 1/2 cup). From the other 1/2, cut circles for turtle back and head. Set aside.

Stir diced apple and chopped pecans into peanut butter mixture. Spread filling on bottom 1/2 of English muffin. Top with remaining muffin 1/2. Finish by adding whole pecans for legs and tail, and apple peel for head and turtle shell back.

- Sarah Sienkiewicz, 11, Holly, Mich.

PEANUTTI PANINI

Peanut sauce:

3/4 cup Jif Peanut Butter

1/2 cup hot water

2 tablespoons lite soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

Cayenne, to taste (optional)

For Panini:

Pre-sliced sourdough or Italian bread

Deli-sliced turkey breast

Muenster cheese

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

Yields about 1 1/2 cups peanut sauce.

For sauce: In small bowl with spoon or whisk, stir together Jif peanut butter and hot water until well blended. Stir in soy, sugar, garlic, cilantro, and Cayenne, if desired. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or more.

Put 2 to 3 tablespoons sauce on 1 side of bread and assemble with turkey, cucumber slices and Muenster cheese. Place second slice of bread on top and lightly butter both sides of bread. Grill until cheese is melted and bread toasted.

- Leah Svat, 10, of Matawan, N.J.:

PEANUT BUTTER POOL PARTY SANDWICH

2 pieces white sandwich bread

2 tablespoons Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

1 tablespoon blue raspberry or blue cotton candy flavored yogurt

6 teddy bear shaped cookies

1 small paper umbrella

Yields 1 sandwich.

Cut both pieces of bread into large circles using plastic cup or cookie cutter. Cut smaller circle out of middle of 1 of the large bread circles with another cup to make "doughnut" shape.

Spread peanut butter onto large bread circle without hole. Place doughnut-shaped bread circle on top so peanut butter shows through hole. Put sandwich on small plate.

Put yogurt into zip-top bag and seal it. With scissors, snip off 1 corner. Squeeze yogurt over peanut butter in center hole to make it look like water.

Put 3 teddy bear cookies into another zip-top bag and crush them with back of large spoon. Sprinkle cookie "sand" around bread and on plate for garnish.

Stick remaining teddy bear cookies into yogurt to make it look like they are swimming. Stick small umbrella into sandwich for decoration.

- Tanner Kohn, 10, Simpsonville, S.C.

KIRSTEN'S HOT WRAP-APPLE BREAKFAST

1 large flour tortilla

2 tablespoons Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter

1/3 cup your favorite granola cereal

4 rounds apple, dried or fresh

1 tablespoon chocolate chips

1 drizzle honey

1 pinch cinnamon

Yields 1 serving.

Place tortilla on microwavable plate. Spread peanut butter on tortilla. Add granola, apple and chips. Roll up tortilla. Sprinkle with honey and cinnamon. Microwave about 45 seconds, or until chips are slightly melted. Serve with glass of milk, or yogurt topped with sliced banana.

- Kirsten Williams, 12, Anchorage, Alaska.