8 New Peanut Butter and Jelly School Lunch Ideas

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Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are seriously underrated. When’s the last time you had one? As a kid, it was considered a complete lunch: it had protein, fruit and grains. Not to mention, kids can make them on their own from a young age! After the stress of the holidays, I find new twists on easy meals to be the way to go when planning my kids’ school lunches so I’ve been looking at trying some new pb and j recipes. Thanks to this extremely cold weather here in NYC, my family’s craving comfort food anyway.

Pick up some Jif peanut butter and Smucker’s jelly from ShopRite so that you’ll have what you need for a super easy lunch in a hurry. Smucker’s Concord Grape Jelly is our favorite, and Smucker’s has the right amount of sweetness because it’s made with real fruit. We love Jif Creamy Peanut Butter for its smooth creamy texture and more fresh roasted peanut taste. Take my advice and think beyond the traditional sandwich. You can do so much with these simple ingredients! Also, use this link to save $.50 off each individual product, bonus $1 if you buy both. Here’s my list of favorite new pb and j recipes:

1. Grilled Peanut Butter & Jelly

This is one of those super easy, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that ideas! Butter two pieces of your favorite bread (gluten free included), slather the ingredients on and toast the entire sandwich in a pan. The result will be warm, gooey deliciousness that’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet!

2. Peanut Butter & Jelly Quesadillas

Replace cheese with Jif peanut butter for a new and improved quesadilla! Trade a side of sour cream for a side of your favorite flavor of Smucker’s. (See the full recipe at the end of this post.)

3. Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

Add peanut butter to your favorite muffin mix or recipe and drizzle melted jelly or jam on top. Another twist is to add jelly, jam or preserves to the center of the muffin.

4. Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie

Peanut butter instantly add protein to any smoothie and makes it a filling meal replacement, post-workout snack, or breakfast on-the-go. Throw in some chia seeds and greens to make it a superfoods smoothie (if you don’t mind the color looking a little less than appetizing, since the peanut butter will overpower any “green” taste). Drizzle or dollop Smucker’s on top for a sweet surprise!

5. Peanut Butter & Jelly Oatmeal

Mix Jif and Smucker’s into a pot of plain oatmeal (steelcut or regular) for an unexpected, but delicious and hearty breakfast.

6. Peanut Butter & Jelly Waffle Sandwich

Whether you use premade or homemade waffles for this option is up to you. Slather peanut butter and jelly in between two waffles and eat up, or mix peanut butter into the waffle batter and serve with jelly.

7. Peanut Butter & French Toast Sandwich

Make French toast as you usually do, smear peanut butter on one piece, jam on the other, and top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. This is one of my favorite (and most indulgent) pb and j recipes!

8. Peanut Butter & Fruit Toasts

Much like an open-faced sandwich, this one involves choosing you favorite artisan toast, putting Jif on first and layering with your favorite sliced fruits or berries in lieu of jelly. A drizzle of honey on top takes this one over the edge!

Using the perfect combination of Jif and Smucker’s, you can create any number of pb and j recipes to keep your kids happy this season. Which one of these will you be trying first?

PB&J Quesadillas With Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

4 tablespoons of peanut butter
4 tablespoons grape jelly
2 flour tortillas
cooking spray

Instructions

1. Take one tortilla and spread peanut butter on one side. Leave about a 1-inch border around the edge.

2. Place the other tortilla on top of the first.

3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray once heated.

4. Place the quesadilla in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, checking regularly to avoid burning.

5. Cut quesadilla into 6 wedges using a pizza cutter.

6. Scoop grape jelly into a bowl to serve as dipping sauce.

7. Serve and enjoy!