The Nostalgia of a Classic PB&J

Last updated on August 19, 2018 by Liza Hawkins

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Jif^® and Smucker’s^®. All opinions are mine alone. #BetterTogetherPBandJ #WeAreBetterTogether #CollectiveBias

A traditional PB&J can stir up nostalgia as the epitome of a lunchbox classic, especially with—in my case—a heavier ratio of peanut butter to spread, and a side of classic, salty potato chips!

There are certain things that strike up strong memories from childhood, ranging from scents and sounds, to textures and tastes.

I hear a song from the ’80s and I’m immediately thrown back to the days of acid wash jeans, friendship pins, copious amounts of hairspray and splatter paint.

The touch of ribbed cotton fabric makes me remember the blanket I used as a small child, which was later used by my mom to make slip covers for our Matador station wagon. Note: those seats were very snuggly!

As an adult I still love a classic PB&J for lunch, often packing that with a bag of salty potato chips for myself at work, or for a quick weekend grab-n-go snack while running the kids to their activities.

While simple to prepare, people have strong feelings about how three simple ingredients—peanut butter, spread and bread—are combined.

Talk about a mouthful of nostalgia!

The bread.

A purist would probably say that to be a classic, a PB&J would probably need to be built upon two fluffy slices of white bread.

An Italian loaf of bread could possibly suffice, but then you’d have to choose between seeds or no seeds, and, well… We all know seeds are better, but they probably take us further away from a traditional sandwich.

These days I make PB&J on white-wheat bread. Still soft, but perhaps a little more wholesome grain-wise.

The ratios.

If ever there was something to get persnickety about, it’s the ratio of peanut butter to spread on a PB&J sandwich.

I will always, always, always favor a two-to-one ratio of peanut butter to spread.

My husband is the opposite.

The beauty of a PB&J is that even though it’s one of the simplest sandwiches to prepare, it still allows for variety.

Crunchy or smooth?

Spread, jam, jelly or preserves?

Crust or no crust?

Lots of peanut butter or lots of spread? Both? A little of one and more of the other?

The delivery.

There are as many ways to create your PB&J as there are peanut butter and spread combinations.

I’ve heard some slather both pieces of bread with peanut butter and then put the spread in the middle, especially in a school lunch when the sandwich is going to sit for a while before being eaten.

The peanut butter helps keep the spread from seeping into the bread and creating a soggy sandwich by lunchtime.

Pretty ingenious.

That said, I prefer to build my PB&J on one slice of bread. I use the empty slice to wipe my knife between moving from peanut butter to spread, as well as before using the knife to cut the sandwich in half.

My sister recently told me that after learning this tip, she’s never built a PB&J a different way!

The pairings.

Hands down, there’s nothing I’d rather have more with a PB&J than classic potato chips.

Something about the sweet and salty combo is about as close to perfection as you can reach.

Probably why peanut butter and spread taste so good together, too. Peanut butter is just the right amount of salty to complement the spread’s sweetness.

But, besides chips, I also find other things pair well—particularly in a school lunch.

Things like mandarins, string cheese and fresh veggies go well, they’re super easy to throw together and my kids love them all.

Brand allegiance.

I’ve found over the years that people are very devout about their peanut butter and spread choices. Brand favorites, in particular, I keep hearing over and over are Jif^® and Smucker’s^®.

It’s not surprising.

Jif Creamy Peanut Butter is so smooth, gliding onto the bread with ease, and Smucker’s Strawberry Jam is just the right amount of sweet, with a slightly thick texture that holds up well to being a school lunch-worthy sandwich (i.e., doesn’t make the bread soggy!).

They’re both pantry staples and have been around for decades. Smucker’s and Jif both know what they’re doing to help contribute to a perfect PB&J!

I’ve yet to meet a mom who doesn’t want quick convenience for lunches, and Jif and Smucker’s provide an easy solution to help give that homemade taste kids love every time.

You can find Jif Peanut Butter and Smucker’s Strawberry Jam at your local Dollar General. Click here for a coupon that gives $1.00 off when you buy both Jif Peanut Butter and Smucker’s Fruit Spread!