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Alternative names Elvis sandwich, the Elvis Similar Peanut butter, Banana, Peanut butter and jelly sand, Frozen banana, Almond butter | ||
The peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich, or peanut butter and banana sandwich, sometimes referred to as an Elvis sandwich or simply the Elvis, consists of toasted bread slices with peanut butter, sliced or mashed banana, and sometimes bacon. Honey is seen in some variations of the sandwich. The sandwich is frequently cooked in a pan or on a griddle. The recipe for the sandwich has been published in numerous cookbooks and newspaper stories. It is sold commercially in restaurants that specialize in peanut butter sandwiches, such as Peanut Butter & Co.
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Elvis Presley and the sandwich
The peanut butter and banana sandwich has been referred to as a favorite of Elvis Presley, who was renowned for his food cravings such as the Fool's Gold Loaf, a loaf of Italian bread filled with a pound of bacon, peanut butter, and grape jelly. Books on Elvis Presley's favorite foods and culinary tastes, as well as other published reports on his taste for peanut butter and banana sandwiches with or without bacon, have made the sandwich widely associated with Presley. It is often referred to using his name.
Presley's fondness for peanut butter and banana sandwiches is well established; however, bacon is not mentioned in all accounts. A book about Presley and his mother, Gladys Presley, though, says he had "sandwich after sandwich of his favorite—peanut butter, sliced bananas, and crisp bacon". Another passage describes him talking "feverishly until dawn" while "wolfing" down the sandwiches (described in this instance as being made with mashed banana).
A news report suggests that, based on renditions of sandwiches named after him, Presley ate his with caramelized bananas and crispy bacon on grilled Hawaiian bread, and grilled by his mother or his cook in bacon fat. The Good, the Bad, and the Yummy describes it as consisting of half a banana and a piece of bacon per sandwich, browning the sandwiches in a frying pan with butter, cutting the sandwiches into wedges, and piling them high.
Variants
The sandwich has had numerous variations, many of which were billed as "Elvis Presley's" or owing to "Elvis" himself. Nigella Lawson of Nigella Bites cooking show, featured "Elvis Presley's Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich" in a 2007 episode that was made of white bread, butter, a banana and peanut butter.
Another cooking show "Sara's Secrets" featured "The Elvis" with the Peanut Butter & Co.'s recipe, which includes 8 slices of bread, butter, a banana, peanut butter, 12 slices of bacon and honey.
A variant on the sandwich is the peanut butter banana club sandwich, which combines the sandwich with a club sandwich by adding lettuce, brown sugar and lemon juice. Another version of the sandwich was sold under the name The Memphis at the "all peanut butter sandwich" restaurant P.B. Loco prior to the company going out of business, which added honey and substituted bacon bits for bacon strips.
The sandwich has also been featured in a cookbook for canines in The Everything Cooking for Dogs Book. The book suggests alternative fillings including sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, and apples.
Popularity among other celebrities
Former Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, said that he would select a peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich as his "last meal", using "toasted Wonder Bread, melted Skippy Super Chunky, slices of overripe banana and fresh crisp bacon." The subject came up when Bloomberg was discussing Philadelphia cheesesteak with Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.
Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb shared "a concoction of peanut butter, banana, honey and bacon" called "an Elvis" on a date with her future husband, Roey Hershkovitz.