Peanut Butter Makes It Better

Be it ever so humble, America's favorite lunchtime money saver is also a rock star pantry staple.

My son Sam likes to play a game called “Would You Rather.” It goes like this:

Sam: “Mom, would you rather be trapped in a cage with a lion for three days or lick peanut butter off a hobo’s foot.”

Mom: “Well, both sound very attractive, so tough choice. I guess the hobo, as that won’t necessarily kill me. Which would you rather do?”

Sam: “Hummm, I guess the lion.”

As you can see, Sam would rather be eaten by a lion than eat peanut butter. For a parent, that’s a bummer. PB&J is always a fallback when you’re out of lunchmeat or when you need something that doesn’t require refrigeration.

And it’s a pantry staple that can stretch more than pennies. Peanut butter infuses flavor, protein and heart-healthy fats into everything from indulgent cakes to yummy breakfast muffins and snack mixes. Here are a few of our favorite recipes. Now if I could just get Sam to eat it. I mean, it won’t kill him …

—By Jill Melton, Relish Editor