PB&J with a French twist

The constant hunt for new and exciting lunches to pack for my son has led to some pretty creative experiments.

The fried egg and cheddar on whole wheat was a flop. Cold sirloin and cold carbonara were hits. But peanut butter and pretzel sandwiches have become a standard item.

And that got me thinking about your basic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If you can grill a cheese sandwich, why not a PB&J? So I tried it with a bit of butter in the skillet and it was a huge hit, especially once I added a bit of cinnamon to the butter. Warm, melty peanut butter and sweet jam. What's not to love?

Riffing on that was how I came up with this cross between a grilled peanut butter and jelly and French toast.

French Toast PB&J

Servings: 1

Ingredients

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch salt

2 slices whole-wheat bread

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon fruit jam

1 tablespoon butter

Powdered sugar

Directions

In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, cinnamon and salt.

Use the bread, peanut butter and jam to make a sandwich. Spread half of the peanut butter on each slice of bread. This helps the sandwich hold together.

Soak the sandwich in the egg mixture for 2 minutes per side, pressing it gently with a fork to help it absorb the egg.

Heat a medium skillet over medium. Add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the sandwich and fry for 2 minutes, or until the bottom is lightly browned. Use a spatula to flip the sandwich, then cover the skillet and cook for another 2 minutes, or until browned on the second side.

Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar.