Okay, readers, I need your opinion on a Very Important Subject.
My wife was in the kitchen making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (with two pieces of bread) for our son’s lunch, when I looked down to the counter and saw her doing the oddest thing.
She was putting the peanut butter AND the jelly on the same slice of bread!
Have you ever heard of anything so crazy?
Naturally, I asked her what on Earth she was doing and she explained that THIS is the correct method of making a PBJ sandwich.
“No it isn’t,” I said, explaining that you put peanut butter on one slice of bread and jelly on the other.
She looked at me like I was crazy and said, “That’s not how you do it.”
Huh? Excuse me, I happen to know a thing or two about making PBJ sandwiches. I am Chef Blogger Dad, after all.
So began the debate over who is right. Rather than argue with one another over something so subjective, we’re turning to our friends.
She went to Facebook, where she has something like eight million friends, to ask them the correct way to make a PBJ sandwich. Since I have no actual friends, I turn to you, all 10 of my readers, and ask you for your opinions.
While I understand there is more than one way to (peanut) butter your bread, I am looking to determine the way that most people make PBJ. In other words, the commonly accepted Right Way.
So, please readers, comment and tell us how YOU make PBJ sandwiches. Unless, of course, you agree with my wife, in which case, you don’t need to comment this time. 
And I never ask people to tweet my posts, but I’d love to get as many opinions as possible to counter her eight million Facebook friends.
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Well, on gluten-free bread, of course! Did that help?
Davina – Gluten what?!
Nice safe answer.
Peanut Butter on one side. Jelly on the other. Seriously. What is she thinking?
.-= ourladybeth´s last blog ..Independence: Know Thyself =-.
Seriously, I don’t even think I know her anymore.
I go both ways.
If it’s a normal loaf of bread, I put peanut butter on one slice and jam on the other.
If the slices have holes that go all the way through, I apply peanut butter to one slice and then the jam over that, so that I don’t get jam leaking through the holes. The peanut butter kind of seals the holes on it’s slice. This way, it’s a little less messy.
.-= Mike´s last blog ..My Wife’s “Insanity Revisited” =-.
Mike – Yes, I have done that under those circumstances, but normally, keep the PB and the J separate!
You are totally right. She’s NUTSO. Jelly on one side, peanut butter on the other. Squish together and cut. Although my boys only eat PB&S…where the S stands for sprinkles…as it cupcake sprinkles. Yeah, I know.
.-= MainlineMom´s last blog ..A Word of Encouragement for Mothers =-.
EAXACTLY.
Mmmm, PB&S sounds yummy. Good thing to separate the B and the S.
I’m with you on this one. PB on one slice, jelly on the other. Classic preparation.
PJ – Amen, brother. Amen.
Clearly the only way that makes sense is PB on one side and J on the other.
.-= Portland Dad´s last blog ..Finding quality, when you can’t do quantity =-.
You are correct, sir. Thanks!
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Um……….hellooooo………what do you think happens to the pb and the j when the bread meets? They TOUCH one another! I’m just expediting the process!
No, if the jelly is on top of the peanut butter, it doesn’t absorb the same way into the second slice. And you also use more jelly when you put it on top of the peanut butter, like a cat excitedly trying to cover up its mess in the litter box sending litter flying all over the place!
And you don’t get a vote in this one. So far, I’m winning unanimously (excluding Davina’s non comment)! Yay, me!
I haven’t laughed out loud in a long time while reading something online, and your comment about the excited kitty made me lose my ability to control my laughter!
ps. Peanut Butter on one slice, jelly on the other.
I’ve got to say, this time you’re right Blogger Dad! Peanut butter on one side, jelly on the other! I have been known to take the last piece of bread and cut in half to make a half sandwich
Hope this helps!
.-= Elizabeth´s last blog ..Whew… =-.
If it’s crunchy peanut butter, I’d spread the jelly on top so that it fills the pools between the nuts. If it’s smooth peanut butter, I’d spread it on the other slice of bread. That’s my 2 cents. This comment thread could be interesting.
Am I in the TWILIGHT ZONE?!!!! I think BloggerDad has hacked all your accounts!
You know… I’m with your wife on this one. I always put the jam onto the peanut butter. The peanut butter does have to go first, but I do put them both on the same slice.
I will insert the caveat that if it is for a PB&J sandwich that I’m eating right away I’ll put peanut butter on BOTH sides of the bread, but if it is for lunch, or to be eaten at a later time, I only put the peanut butter on one side (with the jam on top of it) so that the jam soaks through the opposing slice.
.-= twistedxtian´s last blog ..Good (News) Friday =-.
Okay, how much did my wife pay you to flop to the other side of the debate (opposed to your Twitter position that I was correct)?
I thought mixing both on one side was the weirdest thing, until I asked my wife, and she said she does the same thing. Bah!
BloggerDad, I think you are right.
This reminds me of The Great Breakfast Debate of 2009 (http://bit.ly/7mFuDy)
.-= Angel Castaneda´s last blog ..TB Update: Stop #3 =-.
Well, let’s keep your wife away from this post, eh? I’d hate to skew it in my wife’s favor.
I have to agree with you on this one. In my 1000s, possibly 10s of 1000s of PB&Js made in my lifetime, only in the rarest of circumstances have I applied jelly/jam directly on top of the peanut butter. Each deserve their own slice.
.-= Jeff @ ManoftheHouse.com´s last blog ..Real Men Broil =-.
Yes! They do deserve their own slices.
pb on both slices, then jelly in the middle so the jelly doesn’t leak through. Plus I like pb better anyway.
I live in Australia where so we don’t eat this wondrous sandwich of which you muse. I guess we could do… I mean we eat jam, peanut butter and bread, just not all together. However if I was to make one, say for a visiting friend from the US, I’d definitely put one on one side, and one on the other and then put the two bits of bread together. BloggerMom’s way sounds too messy for me. Sorry : )
.-= Musing Dad´s last blog ..PLAYING THE GAME =-.
The way a person approaches this depends on how much jelly they use, desire to make the most “even” distribution, and dexterity. If you like a lot of jelly, you put it on the peanut butter because tipping a slice of bread spread with a lot of jelly over on to a second slice with peanut butter will cause the jelly to slide down (and possibly off) the bread. This will mean you make a mess or part of the sandwich will have more jelly than the other. If you use a thin layer of jelly or are pretty fast, you can put each on separate slices.
Personally, I don’t like peanut butter and jelly so I avoid the whole mess. When I occasionally make it for my husband though, I put the jelly on top of the peanut butter because I don’t want to have to try to flop a slice full of jelly (he likes a fair bit) and risk it falling off the bread.
.-= Orchid64´s last blog ..Will Miss #171 – love of "Downy" =-.
Orchid 64 – Well, and here’s a wild idea, you COULD do the jelly piece of bread first and THEN flip the peanut butter slice down?
Or is that just crazy talk?
I read the headline, immediately laughed and answered ‘your wife, of course’ (the rest of the post is irrelevant)
And peanut butter and jam sandwiches? Peanut butter and jam should only ever be eaten on toast surely? I’m going to make just that right now to test …
This from a woman who lets her young ones cut their own hair? Um, yeah.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Dave,
I love ya, but I gotta say: PB&J on the same slice of bread. PB goes down first, like the foundation … followed by jelly. Sorry!
But below, you say otherwise. Which is it, Jason? You PBJ Flip Flopper!
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
You’re both nuts.
PB on one slice of lightly toasted bread and then the jelly lightly smeared on the same slice. Then you put a plain slice of bread on top of the PBJ slice, press down a little and then cut in half.
So, other than toasting, you agree with BloggerMom?
And you call yourself my best friend?!
FOR SHAME!
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Yes, each slice deserves it’s own reward..
Amen, brother.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Why someone even would consider putting both peanut butter AND jelly on a loaf of bread is beyond me. Those two food groups do clearly not go together!
.-= Adrenalynn´s last blog ..Glory Days =-.
Yeah, Billions of people have it wrong. So, tell us, Adrenalynn, what YOU eat?
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
I have always strongly supported you in the past,…you know that. However, this time I’m afraid you are soooooooo totally wrong. Peanut butter, then jam…one on top of the other. Have you never seen that Peanut butter and jam twist product. They mix them togther ahead of time so you don’t have to. Stay your ground BloggerMom!!!
.-= Michelle Gillies´s last blog ..Not The Momma! =-.
Well, you, BloggerMom, and the one or two other PBJ freaks can all revel in your wrongness, but majority wins, no matter how loudly you shout from the rooftops!
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
It might be a reflection of my ability to make a mess no matter what I do, but I have to put them on the same side because it doesn’t matter which side I flip onto the other side I’ll made a mess. Jelly slides everywhere, or I drop the peanut butter slice face down on the floor. It’s just SAFER to put them both on the same side. Of course, last night I just left off the second slice of bread altogether. I know! I was playing with fire!
.-= The Bug´s last blog ..John Parker =-.
You, lady, live a dangerous existence!
And yeah, jelly does seem to HATE going on bread. Always trying to escape. (in Seinfeld voice) What’s the deal with Jelly?
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Most of the time, I mix the peanut butter and jelly together in a bowl, then spread it on both halves of the bread.
But when I don’t want to wash an extra bowl, the peanut butter goes on one slice of bread and the jelly on the other. It’s the only way to do it, really.
That’s just kooooky.
Dirtying a bowl to make a sandwich? What is it with women using so many bowls to make meals? Do you all think you’re on a cooking show or something? I am actually addressing this in a future Cooking With Blogger Dad post in which I compare how I cook with how BloggerMom does.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
I’ve been known to make them both ways. Actually, that’s not true. I’ve never been known for that at all, and the kitchen is usually empty when I make one, but I’ve made PB & J sandwiches, both with two slices of bread and with one. If I had to choose, I’d probably go with two slices, but there is a nice mingling of flavors with the one.
LOL. Yes, Sean Platt is known in his community for his PBJ methods! LOL.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
hah, I laugh in the face of your dilemna! I am heading over to FB to find BloggerMom and join her ranks of 8 million + 1.
Clearly BD, you’ve waisted your time once again…
ROFL
Good luck finding her. She’s so private on there, you’d think she joined some underground movement. I’m pretty sure my wife is embarrassed to be married to me. Can’t say I blame her, though.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Umm…I didn’t know there was a right or wrong way…but because I am OCD, I have always made mine the way my Mum did, peanut butter on one piece, jelly or fluff on the other. And the jelly is always grape. There is no other kind for a PB&J.
I should think it was the flavour that mattered most, anyway, not the construction.
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
.-= Kyddryn´s last blog ..You Know You Want One =-.
You just raised an interesting question – my wife likes fluff, too. I should get some, and secretly watch her make it to see if she also puts both on the same slice or not. I mean, if she reads this, she will, just to show me up, but I bet she doesn’t normally do it that way, which would then expose her weirdness when it comes to PBJ!
And while I do like grape, I also love strawberry jam. And have even liked apple and orange. It’s probably the most diversity I get in my fruit intake.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Your wife is right, of course. (Wait… should I read the rest of the blog post?)
My mom used to mix the peanut butter and jelly together in a small bowl before smearing it on the bread. That way, when you took a bite, jelly wouldn’t fall out from between the slices and drip on you. And the bread never got soggy.
.-= GreenJello´s last blog ..Thirty Years Ago Today =-.
LOL. Yes you SHOULD read the entire post before claiming her as right
By the way, she said your mom’s method was gross. She even looked as if she puked in her mouth a bit when she described it to me after having read it. So, you’ve been betrayed by bloggermom! LOL
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Blogger Dad – You are right.
Peanut butter deserves one side, Jelly deserves the other. There is no other way. The bread grips the jelly better, whereas, if you were to place jelly on the peanut butter it lumps up and lies there. Peanut Butter first on one side, Jelly on the other. Lick smearing utensil to get a preview of what you’re about to enjoy. Place slices together, upon which the chemical reaction of PB & J happens. Eat. I’m hungry now. Thanks.
Yes, and WE MUST lick the knife! I like to use a big, giant Rambo knife and then lick it when done, to make myself seem just a bit more badass after making what is essentially a child’s sandwich. Thanks for your vote! Bloggermom is soooooo wrong.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Chef Blogger Dad you are right on this one. I have never heard of such insanity. How would it all stick together? Isn’t one slice of bread then lonely? Usually a mom is 100% correct but in this case – I’m with you dad.
.-= Brittany at Mommy Words´s last blog ..A Little LackLUSTer =-.
Maybe that whole “one slice being alone thing” is why she does it? Because she’s romantic at heart and likes to unite the two slices of bread?
but she’s still wrong.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Peanut butter on one slice, jelly on the other. Hands down. That’s why it’s called Peanut butter AND jelly. if you were supposed to put them on the same slice, the sandwich would be called peanutbutterjelly. What I don’t understand is how your wife made it this far in life without someone correcting her. I mean, this is a fundamental task of humanity. I just don’t understand. I won’t be able to sleep tonight thinking about this.
Try LIVING with this craziness! I haven’t slept since my discovery. In fact, I’m starting to see things. Maybe this is all some elaborate plan to have me institutionalized so she can get her hands on my collection of well worn 80′s era comic books.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
At home we had the same problem you have although reversed. The hubby puts the PB&J on one slice of bread and then covers it with the clean slice. I put PB on one slice of bread and the J on the other and then smash them together. In order to achieve family peace we agreed to disagree and we just each prepare our own version of PB&J. However, the hubby would say that “obviously” his way is the right way.
.-= Mely Wilcox´s last blog ..Starbucks VIA Tastes Okay, but It’s Still A Rip-Off =-.
… and he, like my wife, would be wrong
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Sorry but this song has been stuck in my head since I first read this post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8MDNFaGfT4
.-= twistedxtian´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday IX =-.
When my son discovers that song, my sanity will be shattered.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
OK, OK, now let me throw another wrench into the works: Suppose, just suppose, that you want to kick up your PB&J with two, that’s TWO, different kinds of jelly on the same sandwich. Say, grape and strawberry, for example.
Would any of you guys then use a third slice of bread or mix the jelly together on one slice?
What say you, sandwich-heads?
TWO kinds of jelly? You just blew my mind!
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
As the father of a three-year-old daughter whos main diet staple is the classic PBJ, I can certify that the PB goes on one slice of bread, while Jelly (or honey) goes on the other. These two ingredients should never be prematurely combined. I do have another PBJ-related question for those of you that make as many sandwiches as I do: Do you cut the crust off of the bread before, or after you apply the PB & J (separately of course)?
Oh my oh my I am on your side. PB on one piece of bread, jelly on the other. Because hello? Jelly doesn’t spread very well on PB and vice versa.
Thank you. I’m almost wishing I bet my wife on this matter. Like maybe she now has to adopt the CORRECT way to make PBJ.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
@Rina: Thank you, love. Finally, someone agrees with me. Jelly does NOT spread well on peanut butter … sheesh.
Jason – huh? In the earlier post you wrote that you agreed with bloggermom, both on one slice. But here, you agree with Rina (and me).
Unless that is your evil twin posting above? … Or you were drunk posting.
.-= Blogger Dad´s last blog ..Ask Blogger Dad: Cursing Hubby =-.
Okay, to address a few things:
1. BloggerDad seems to have fabricated some of my responses in his posts.
2. I am going to have to try more than one flavor jam/jelly on my pbj now! And no, I won’t put one flavor on one slice and one on the other! I’ll put one flavor first on top of the pb, then the other.
3. When I make peanut butter and fluff, I also put peanut butter, then fluff on the same slice of bread! I use a small icing spreader and get a big glob of it and let it plop on top and let it do it’s thing for a minute, then I spread it around! YUM.
4. When can we do a post about BloggerDad leaving empty soda cans inches from the trash can on the counter, but not IN the trash can?
Okay, I must say, out of curiosity and the need for a snack, I did try the suggested two jelly/jam flavor combo on my pbj. Can I just say, YUMMY?! Red Plum jam and Concord Grape jelly! Delish!
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Obviously I am talking about the wrong stuff in hopes of getting comments. PBJ is much more important. My mom always put them on the same bread so that is what I learned. Now I have gone my own way and agree with you on the two sided approach.
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Hi Dave, late to the post, but I”m agreeing with your wife here.
Part of the joy of a PB&J is the mixture of the jelly with the peanut butter – this is why Smuckers makes Goober Grape so you can have your PB&J pre mixed when you spread it.
I recommend grilling your PB&J like a grilled cheese sammich – don’t coat the outside of the bread with butteror margarine like a grilled cheese, use your non-stick spray of choice – if you’ve got one of those grilled sandwich makers, that’s perfect.
Okay, hubby and I agree on the pb&j issue – but tonight, I saw him making a pb&j and he used a SPOON for the jelly! What’s wrong with using the knife??
Okay, it is 5ish months later and I’d like to take back my previous comment. I’m all about having peanut butter on side side and jam on the other now. I’ve been converted.
.-= twistedxtian´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday XXII =-.
late to the discussion but…as a Brit I feel PB&J is an abomination…and have always found the name funny as what you call jelly is actually ‘jam’ and what we call Jelly is your ‘Jell-o’ which of course would make a heck of a weird sandwich…as for ‘fluff’ what’s up with that?
This debate has seperated my family for years. Your wife is correct though.