Jazz Up Your Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich With Cereal
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a staple in many, if not most, households in America. What kid doesn't remember the classic sandwich in his or her lunchbox? Packed with protein, the standard PB&J can be a meal in and of itself, or a filling snack. On occasion, the sandwich can become tired and ordinary; sometimes kids want something different than the same old peanut butter and jelly - even if you switch between a wide variety of jams and jellies. What is a parent to do?
Enter the Cereal
If peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the kings of the childhood lunchbox, then cereal is the king of the childhood breakfast bowl. Since their creation in the mid to late 19th century, breakfast cereals have become immensely popular. The sheer number of cereals can boggle the mind. They can also serve to help make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich different, unique and exciting!
Adding cereal to your peanut butter and jelly sandwich is not terribly complicated. Create your sandwich as you normally would; peanut butter on one slice and jelly on the other. Before you put your two slices together, sprinkle your cereal on one piece of the bread, then combine to make your sandwich. You can put cereal on both slices, but it will make a bigger mess once you combine. However, if you eat your peanut butter and jelly open faced, than this may work for you.
Note that the peanut butter and the jelly, both serve as the glue of this sandwich. If you put the cereal on too thickly, to where it is not making good contact with either the peanut butter or the jelly, then you run the risk of cereal falling out. Also, depending on the jelly and the cereal, the quality of the sandwich may change over time. The crunch of the cereal may degrade as it sits in contact with the jelly. If you are sending the sandwich in a lunch, you could consider placing the cereal in a separate container, so that the sandwich could be constructed on site.
Taking the Sandwich From Science to Art
You can throw Corn Flakes in the middle of your peanut butter and jelly sandwich and leave it at that. But, have you done something new and exciting? You have really only just touched the surface. Since you have decided to take off on this adventure, try and make your peanut butter and jelly and cereal sandwich something memorable, something unique, something built for the palate of you and your family. Find a wonderful combination. Make a magical new sandwich.
Peanut Butter and Apple Jelly and Apple Jacks. This is a great combination for obvious reasons. The Apple Jacks' own apple flavor, further enhances the flavor of the jelly. Apple Jacks also offer a good crunch.
Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly and Raisin Bran. There is a more subtle serendipity to this sandwich. The bran flakes will provide the crunch you are looking for and the raisin give the sandwich an unexpected chewiness. The raisins are an interesting counterpoint to the jelly, and since they are both from grapes, they can be a tasty combination. If you don't like raisins, this is not for you, of course.
Peanut Butter and Jelly and Chex. Since jelly has its own sweetness, you might not want to add a great deal more sugar. Several varieties of Chex cereal add a great texture and flavor, without additional sweetness. The Chex also lay down very nicely on a piece of bread. If you crave a very orderly sandwich, than this may be the cereal choice for you.
Peanut Butter and Jelly and Kix. This is another great combination. Kix have a great crunch and a "not-too-sweet" taste. If you are careful, you can get a nice, even layer of the little, round cereal in your sandwich.
Peanut Butter and Jelly and Cocoa Pebbles. This is a good sandwich for chocolate lovers. The Cocoa Pebbles make a good cereal layer and stick well to the peanut butter and jelly. You get a good amount of chocolate in every bite and a decent amount of crunch.
Peanut Butter and Jelly and Reese's Puffs. For the peanut butter fanatic, this combination takes a peanut butter and jelly and cereal sandwich over the top. You might want to pick a jelly that is not too tart, so as not to overwhelm the peanut butter taste of the puffs. Or, if you are daring, you could forgo the jelly altogether and make a Peanut Butter and Cereal sandwich by itself. If you do this, you should have a glass of milk handy.
Make it Your Own
The best part of making a Peanut Butter and Jelly and Cereal Sandwich is that you are making it your own. You get to create it. You get to alter it. You get to perfect it. There are millions of possible combinations out there. You get the joy of discovering the best combination for you. With such fantastic ingredients, it is hard to make a sandwich that you won't like, and you just might find one that you truly love!