The Cheesy Upgrade That Will Elevate Your Peanut Butter Sandwich

A peanut butter sandwich is one of those timeless provisions we're introduced to as kids and never fully grow out of. Why would we? Peanut butter is a powerhouse food rich in protein, healthy fats, and fiber and has an irresistible nuttiness few can resist. Although there are plenty of reliable and timeless peanut butter sandwich pairings, experimenting with unexpected ingredients can lead to exciting new recipes that might just become family favorites for generations to come. Enter goat cheese — the tangy, rich, and opulent ingredient that will effortlessly transform your average peanut butter sandwich.

Marked by a mild acidity with notes of tangy musk and an on-the-nose earthy richness, goat cheese infuses peanut butter sandwiches with a depth of flavor that's sophisticated and bold but never brash. Its sharp taste cuts through the dry-roasted peanut butter flavor, culminating in a dynamic sandwich-eating experience. Its spreadable texture harmonizes with the lush, fatty consistency of peanut butter, bolstering the full-bodied mouthfeel of the sandwich. Although it's a unique-tasting dairy product, goat cheese marries well with both classic and unconventional peanut butter sandwich fillings, ensuring your options for assembling this sophisticated handheld meal are anything but limited.

Aged goat cheese can be firm and crumbly. So opt for fresh goat cheese on a peanut butter sandwich since young cheese is spreadable. That's already a bold move, but don't be afraid to incorporate other ingredients to make a more robust, filling, and flavorful sandwich. Even Ina Garten's elevated PB&J's got nothin' on this. You can never go wrong with sweet jams to bring a tart, fruity, charcuterie-style vibe to the sandwich. Fig jam adds an earthy hint, while a strawberry or raspberry jam deepens the tart notes of the cheese.

To keep things simple, add a generous drizzle of honey to balance the richness with a touch of sticky sweet floral goodness. Not a fan of honey? Use agave nectar, maple syrup, or date syrup instead. Or give your peanut butter sandwich a bold umami flavor boost by mixing miso paste into the peanut butter. Trim it with garden-fresh goodness in the form of peppery arugula or earthy spinach nestled under crispy apple slices. To make it a hearty meal, introduce a protein source like smoky, savory bacon or peanut buttery oven-baked salmon. After trying these peanut butter and goat cheese variations, you'll never look at a regular peanut butter sandwich the same way again.