Comfort food will always reign supreme in my heart.
Even something close to the memory of your favorite comfort food can satisfy. Take pizza, for example. I LOVE good, Italian pizza but… It’s like gettin’ frisky. All pizza is good, some is just better than others.
Cinnabon may be about to bust up my theory though. They are apparently introducing Pizzabons. Lucky ATL is their test market.
[Photo: @AJCFoodandMore]
If I had to choose, grilled PB & J would be my #1 comfort food. Growing up, my mom used to load the sandwich with lots of peanut butter (JIF) and my grandmother’s homemade muscadine jelly. She would then butter the outside of the bread and grill it up like a grilled cheese. The peanut butter would become runny and the buttery, crunchy bread was just the right contrast to the oozy-goozey center.
It’s been years since I’ve had one. I can’t bring myself to put that much butter and gooey deliciousness on a sandwich. This thing was probably close to 1000 calories. That’s before the sides – Cheetos and chocolate milk (with extra syrup snuck in when Mom wasn’t looking).
When I was craving this particular sandwich yesterday, I decided to try to make a healthier version of my mom’s classic.
The bread was easy: I used my favorite P28 High Protein Bread. The jam was also a no brainer – sugar-free Smuckers Strawberry.
The hardest part was the peanut butter. I needed to achieve the right amount of gooey-ness, and actual peanut butter isn’t allowed on my training plan. Time to get creative. Peanut FLOUR is ok (it’s de-fatted), but it won’t melt. It needs to be a creamy filling… and you know what’s creamy? Tofu.
I blended my peanut flour with a serving of tofu and a couple of stevia drops for an amazing creamy, low-fat, protein-filled peanut butter. Bam.
Rather then Cheetos I opted for apple sprinkled with cinnamon. There was a little tofu-peanut butter left over, which made the perfect apple dip.
I never thought I’d say thing, but these days apple slices are legit more appealing than the processed orange cheese things.
Grilled Protein PB&J
- Bread
- 1 serving peanut tofu butter
- 2 tsp sugar-free jelly
- 3 oz tofu
- 2 T peanut flour
- 2-3 drops stevia
Pre-heat George Foreman grill, panini press, or grill pan.
Place Peanut Tofu Butter ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Spread peanut butter and jelly on your bread of choice to make you sandwich. Place in/on hot grilling apparatus and cook until each side is golden brown.
Enjoy!
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To be clear: I have nothing against Cinnabon (outside of a general opposition to junk food). Admittedly, the smell of their cinnamon rolls is intoxicating. I just can’t imagine wanting a Pizzabon over a real pizza slice or a real Cinnabon.
Would you try the Pizzabon?
What was your favorite childhood meal? Would you still eat it today?
