Freezing PB & J Sandwiches Make those school mornings easier to manage!

 

 

Fixing school lunches really isn't that hard or boring. The real challenge is being able to do it at 6 a.m., when you're still half asleep! There's a way around that, of course, and that's to prepare lunches the night before, so that all you have to do is grab them and send your kids out the door.

 

Sometimes, though, the evenings are every bit as crazy and action-packed as the mornings! Finding time to make sandwiches, portion out snacks and prepare a drink is next to impossible.

 

Fortunately, there's a way around that challenge, too! Use your freezer to stockpile snacks, sandwiches and even drinks. That makes those busy evenings easier to manage and the mornings will be a snap!

 

Try doing lunches assembly-line style, and you can have a week or a month's worth of ready-to-pack foods waiting for your children.

 

But freezing PBJs? Who wants a soggy hunk of bread in their lunch box? You may be skeptical, but you really can freeze sandwiches and have them wonderfully soft and edible when used. There are two key elements you must remember.

 

First element: make sure the sandwich thaws IN the plastic  bag. That holds in moisture, but also allows for a bit of evaporation room. Plastic bags are the ideal environment for frozen sandwiches. Be sure to use plastic bags specifically made for freezing, to prevent freezer burn.

Second element: create a barrier to protect the bread from seepage. Soggy bread comes from prolonged contact with moist ingredients. If it's a PBJ, make sure you have peanut butter on both pieces of bread, so that the moist jelly doesn't soggify the bread. If it's a deli meat sandwich, put mustard or margarine on both slices, for the same reason. Mayonnaise, unfortunately, doesn't freeze well, so you'll need to use a different spread for freezer sandwiches.

 

 

Frozen PBJs

 

Ingredients:

1 loaf sliced whole wheat bread

1 jar peanut butter
1 jar reduced-sugar jelly
freezer-strength sandwich bags
bread loaf bag

 

Directions:

Remove all bread from the loaf bag. Set aside the ends for another use (bread crumbs in your meatloaf, etc).  Separate slices of bread into pairs.

 

Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on one slice and a thin layer of peanut butter on the other slice. This keeps the jelly from seeping through the bread.  Spread jelly over one of the layers of peanut butter.

Put sandwich together and place inside a sandwich bag. Repeat these steps for all slices of bread.

Place all bagged sandwiches back inside and twist shut with tie. Place loaf in freezer and remove a sandwich each time you need one and place in lunch box or bag. The sandwich will thaw out perfectly by lunchtime and it will not be soggy!

 

Published 09/21/07