I haven’t mentioned this tip in a really long time and was just reminded of this a few weeks ago by my friend Rebecca.
Since last week was the official start to summer, you might be looking for quick and easy ideas to stay out of the kitchen and enjoy the nice weather.
Now this is going to sound a little nasty but you have to trust me on this one because I have been doing it for years without a problem.
You can make big batches of PB&J sandwiches and pop them into baggies and into the freezer. These will freeze and when you are running out the door on a busy day just grab one and it will defrost in a few hours and is ready to eat.
Once the sandwiches defrost they taste just like they were freshly made. I make these every few weeks for my kiddos- and they are fantastic to grab when you have a day at the park or running errands or whatever. This is a super easy and reasonably healthy alternative to fast food or other options on the go. Plus it is a great way to use up leftover bread.
We do things fancy around here so sometimes I cut the sandwiches with cookie cutters for the little ladies. They won’t eat an entire sandwich anyway and then the other half that is not in a shape, I just pop in a baggie and I eat those.
Since I usually go to the gym at the end of the day, it works out to be a perfect little pre-workout energy boost.
Just make sure to seal the baggies tightly and push out all the air. I usually place all the individual bags into a larger Ziploc and it is good to go in the freezer!
Making these yourself is significantly less expensive then buying Uncrustables and you can use ingredients you feel good about. I always use Whole Wheat bread, all natural peanut butter and good jam so I know exactly what is going into the little tummies.
If you have a runnier jelly you might try a layer of peanut butter on both sides of the bread and then the jelly. That will help prevent soggy sandwich. I personally don’t have soggy sandwich issues but we usually use a nice thick preserve.
And my last tip, if you don’t have any fun shaped cookie cutters, just use a drinking glass or the lid off the peanut butter and there you have a perfect circle shape!
Thank you! I am so going to try this. I feel like I’m forever making PB&J and this will really save time once school starts and I have 2 kids to make lunches for.
This is such a great tip. =) I started making these at the start of the last school year. My son is allergic to PB, so I can’t just buy the smuckers frozen sandwiches. I make them with almond butter and jelly and use a sandwich press that I got from Pampered Chef quite a few years ago. It seals them up just like the ones you buy at the store. It makes school lunches so much easier. And they really do taste like they are freshly made!!
Do you remember here you bought the large star-shaped cookie cutter? I can never seem to find ones that big… Thanks!
Jill,
I had a hard time finding a star this year. I usually buy them for $1 at Sur La Table, but I believe that specific one is from Michael’s.
i read another website that said typically people place peanut butter on one slice and jelly on the other slice and slap together and freeze. But then, when it thaws, the jelly side is soggy. So it was suggested that you place peanut on both slides and then jelly in the middle, then freeze. You will have pb&j but no sogginess.
Hmm… I just ate one of these today and I have never had a sogginess issue. I wonder if it is the quality of the jelly? I use a thick jelly like Santa Cruz or Bonne Maman.
I saw the real nice Wilton star shaped cookie cutters on clearance today at Ross. I believe they were priced at $0.99. That is a super price. I often see cookie cutters at stores like Ross and Marshalls that sell items at a discount. If you have retailers in your area that discount kitchen items, you might find cookie cutters at bargain prices at one of those stores.
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