You’ve eaten more than 1,500 PB&J’s, but you’ve never had one like this

In the test kitchen at Eckert’s it’s OK to play with your food. That’s how the “Best Peanut Butter ‘n Jelly Ever” was born.

Stuffed with fresh sliced bananas and strawberries, crunchy granola, creamy peanut butter, Eckert’s strawberry jam and a touch of drizzled honey, the sandwich — served on wheatberry bread — has become a popular item on the restaurant’s spring menu.

“More adults then kids order the peanut butter and jelly,” said Lauren Bayers, a longtime server at Eckert’s restaurant. “Everybody loves a peanut butter and jelly.”

The culinary team at Eckert’s prepares 10 to 15 PB&J sandwiches a day. That number doubles on occasion, but the restaurant hasn’t run out of peanut butter yet.

Jill Eckert Tantillo and head cook Kim Mesey dreamed up the deluxe PB&J recipe long before ESPN writer Baxter Holmes exposed “the NBA’s secret addiction.” The sandwich at Eckert’s is large enough to satisfy a basketball player’s appetite, but if you’re really hungry — and daring — add bacon.

Yes — you read that right — bacon. Pork and peanut butter taste great together in Mesey’s opinion. She recommends the combination of salty and sweet. But don’t look for a bacon version of the “Best Peanut Butter ‘n Jelly Ever” on the menu. It’s sort of a secret menu item.

As for the classic PB&J, Mesey calls the sandwich nostalgic. The average American will eat 1,500 PB&J sandwiches by the time they finish high school, according to beaconlearningcenter.com.

That’s a whole lot of peanut butter.

“It’s takes you back to your childhood,” Mesey said. “It’s one of those go-to meals that never gets old.”

Want to try it? The sandwich, with a side of homemade chips, will set you back about $10, but the recipe is easy to make at home.

Eckert’s Country Restaurant at 951 S. Green Mount Road in Belleville, is open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. If you’re looking for Eckert’s jam to make your own version of PB&J at home, the Country Store is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

This story was originally published April 17, 2017 at 12:24 PM with the headline "You’ve eaten more than 1,500 PB&J’s, but you’ve never had one like this."