# Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, Elvis style? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 24, 2006, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948 "2006-04-24T05:28:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/1 "2006-04-24T05:28:59Z")
Peanut butter, banana, white bread, butter, skillet that it? Anyone know what the recipe actually was, anyone ever try it? Any good? ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/2 "2006-04-24T05:33:46Z")
At least that is all I can find googling, anyone know different, have any suggestions? Am off tomorrow, thought I’d give it a shot, heard it had 39g of fat though! ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/3 "2006-04-24T05:45:19Z")
You’ve never had a PB&B? They are the best! I don’t usually fry mine (too much work and less healthy anyway), but I have done it. You pretty much just make it the way you think you would. ---
**Author:** ![snorlax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/4 "2006-04-24T11:33:27Z")
Ah yes, the Elvis Killer. I have seen it suggested that it should also contain bacon (urgh), but at any rate it is just made in the same way as a grilled cheese sandwich. Did you expect something more sophisticated? My personal favourite in the unhealthy sandwich arena is the “boburger”, a hamburger topped with a fried egg. Cholesterolicious! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/5 "2006-04-24T12:05:40Z")
I just saw the recipe for this in a book I’m reading called Gastronaut: adventures in food for the romantic, the foolhardy, and the brave, by Stefan Gates. It’s a really interesting book (recipes for placenta, bugs, gold-plating food, cannibalism, etc.) so you should read it even if you decide to wing it on the Elvis sandwich. IIRC, you need to put butter in the pan. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/6 "2006-04-24T15:29:19Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > IIRC, you need to put butter in the pan. I read somewhere that you need to put a whole stick of butter in the pan. At least that’s the way that Elvis ate his. ---
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/7 "2006-04-24T17:03:31Z")
I had this, with fries, at the Elvis Presley restaurant, just off Beale steet in Memphis. It’s…odd. It’s pretty dead simple. Peanut butter and sliced banana on white bread. Butter the outside of the bread and fry it up in a skillet until the bread is a nice, golden brown. The weird thing was that, because of the fried bread, it smelled and looked like a grilled cheese sandwich. So even knowing that it wasn’t, my brain sort of rejected the taste at first. All in all, it’s fairly bland and boring, flavour-wise. And soooo healthy…🙂 thwartme ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/8 "2006-04-24T17:24:39Z")
I remember reading or hearing (possibly on some NPR-lite show like Whad’ya Know) someone reminiscing about making a fried PBB for Elvis and being berated and mocked by the King for slicing the bananas (which is how I make them, and how I prefer them.) Oh no–the King wanted his bananas _mashed_! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/9 "2006-04-24T17:46:34Z")
> [@snorlax](#): > > My personal favourite in the unhealthy sandwich arena is the “boburger”, a hamburger topped with a fried egg. Cholesterolicious! Health food! Now a [Luther Burger](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughnut_burger) … that’s unhealthy! ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/10 "2006-04-24T17:49:55Z")
By some reports, E took his peanut butter and banana sandwiches not fried like a grilled cheese, but actually battered and deep fried. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/11 "2006-04-24T17:51:34Z")
I now and then have a variation of this sandwich for breakfast. It’s a bit healthier, and it’s uber-delish: Toast some white or whole wheat bread, spread one of the slices with some top quality peanut butter and slice some banana onto it. Drizzle the banana with honey. Top with the other slice of bread. Serve with a big glass of cold milk on the side. Mr. brown and I voted it better than the best breakfast pastry we ever ate. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/12 "2006-04-24T21:34:30Z")
I sometimes make them over the summer when I have no better way to spend my time. Pretty tasty, I must say, but I always use wheat bread. Because, you know, I want to eat healthy. I have also made pbb (not grilled) with [curry peanut butter](https://secure3.visi.com/pbloco_com/index.asp). Pretty good. Makes me feel sophisticated. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/13 "2006-04-24T21:40:21Z")
> [@snorlax](#): > > I have seen it suggested that it should also contain bacon (urgh) My favourite sandwich on earth (add Tabasco for some zing). But not fried. I too heard the battered-and-deep-fried story. Perhaps Elvis had Scottish ancestry? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/14 "2006-04-24T22:07:27Z")
I make them sometimes with multigrain bread - I find white bread disgusting and doughy. Just start like a grilled cheese, add the peanut butter till it’s a bit melted, grill the banana a bit, slap 'er in there, and eat. Yummy. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/15 "2006-04-24T22:27:45Z")
Huh? It sounds like you have a strange way of making grilled cheeses, **alice**. The usual way is to fry them in a skillet or on a griddle. What do you do, use a broiler? I’ve done them that way, too. Technically, that’s a Welsh rabbit, I suppose. It’s healthier than frying them, but it doesn’t taste as good. Or do you do something else? It isn’t clear. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/16 "2006-04-24T23:05:12Z")
Sounds like **alice** is frying them open-faced. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/17 "2006-04-25T02:54:06Z")
Elvis’ cook was on David Letterman demonstrating how to fix this sandwich. I believe she had a cookbook out at the time. White bread, peanut butter, sliced bananas and a whole stick of butter. David was totally grossed out by the stick of butter. There was no mention of battering and deep-frying the sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/18 "2006-04-25T16:28:01Z")
Shouldn’t it be dipped in batter deep fried and served with a side of bacon and eggs? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/19 "2006-04-25T18:17:45Z")
I’m surprised about frying to make grilled cheese. Over here, “grilled” means broiled, so a grilled cheese is one that is done under the “grill”. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948/20 "2006-04-25T20:59:05Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I’m surprised about frying to make grilled cheese. Over here, “grilled” means broiled, so a grilled cheese is one that is done under the “grill”. “Grill” in this instance means something cooked on a grill or, in the case of cheese sandwiches, on a griddle or in a frying pan. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fried-peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich-elvis-style/353948.md?page=2)