Grilled Peanut Butter Banana & Jelly Sandwich

Easy. Plant-based. Delicious. These are three words you are probably going to hear mentioned many times on this blog. Why? Because that’s what Shane & Simple is all about. The very first recipe I’m going to show you is just that and it’s amazing: A Grilled Peanut Butter Banana Jelly Sandwich! You’re welcome. (And you thought healthy eating was going to be complicated!)

Hey everybody! I’m Shane and this is my first official post as a wannabe food blogger. Why a food blog? Thanks for asking. Grab a chair, sit down and I’ll tell you.

After my transformation from fat ass to sexy beast in 2013 because of a plant-based diet, my friends and family kept asking, “What are you doing?” I shared the tragic news I had watched the film Forks Over Knives and would no longer be eating anything with a face. No meat, no dairy, and no processed foods. Although they were very happy for me, they, like many others, lived under the impression eating “heathy” or “plant-based” was difficult, tasteless, and reserved for the well healed elite.

So after years of talking, I thought I’d just show them. That’s why Shane & Simple.

The Grilled Peanut Butter Banana & Jelly Sandwich

OK, enough about me let’s talk about this amazing little creation.

First of all, I’m nostalgic. I love remembering the happiness of a former place, time, or situation. It’s therapeutic in some ways, therefore, when I cook I want others to feel what I feel. It may be a little naive to think this way, and it probably is, but it’s the simple things, like food, that jog memories and evoke feelings of the past.

I was ten years old the first time I had a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich and still remember it like it was yesterday. My mother called me to the table because she had a “surprise” for me. I watched as she stood in front of an old yellow gas stove, preparing what I thought was a grilled cheese. Yet, what she put on my plate was nothing short of amazing. My favorite, PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY! And it was GRILLED! Amazing! I have never forgotten that moment.

My mother passed away in 2000 and I still miss her just as much as I did when she left. And, though it may sound silly, I feel like my take on her sandwich is one of the many ways I still remember her, honor her, and share how much she meant to me with others.

I hope you see why I’m excited to share my own version of this sandwich with you. Yes, it’s because this recipe is easy, plant-based, and delicious. But, most of all and most importantly, it’s because the inspiration came from a mother’s selfless desire to love her children well, even in the little things…like peanut butter and jelly. I hope this not only feeds your stomach, but your soul as well. Nostalgia.

Peace + Feast,
shane

Grilled Peanut Butter Banana & Jelly Sandwich

Yield: 1 sandwich

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

The grilled peanut butter banana & jelly sandwich. Perfect for a snack, breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert. What more could you want?

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Ingredients

• 2 slices whole grain bread
• 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp. favorite fruit spread (no sugar added)
• 1 ripe banana

Instructions

1. Preheat nonstick skillet over medium heat.
2. Spread peanut butter on both slices of bread; cover one side with jelly and top with sliced bananas.
3. Put the bread together and place in heated non-stick pan.
4. Apply a little bit of pressure with spatula and cook for about a minute; flip and continue cooking by applying a little pressure for another minute. Flip and flop until you are satisfied with the way it looks.
5. Remove from heat and eat!

Notes

Be sure you read the labels when getting a "natural" peanut butter. Some brands say natural, but still include extra oils, sugar and other crap you don't need in peanut butter.

Look for jellies and natural fruit spreads sweetened with just fruit or regular sugar. No high fructose corn syrup.

If you're not a fan of peanut butter, you can use any nut or seed butter of your choice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 sandwich
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 538 Total Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 14g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 417mg Carbohydrates: 79g Fiber: 10g Sugar: 33g Protein: 18g

The information shown is an estimate provided by Nutritionix. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.