EUREKA!:

About five years ago, a co-worker (Bucky Tremblay) and I hatched the idea that will one day make us very rich and much beloved men. We're going to open a chain of fast food restaurants--Buck & O's--featuring a sandwich we named the Buck & O Burger, that's a variant on Elvis Presley's favorite, the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Here's the recipe they use at Elvis Presley's Memphis Restaurant:

ELVIS PRESLEY'S PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SANDWICH
4 oz. whole peanut butter
2 slices Texas Toast or 1/2-inch thick bread
1 whole ripe banana
4 oz. whole butter

Spread peanut butter side to side, evenly on 1 side of each piece of bread. Slice banana in 3/4-inch slices and place on 1 piece of bread with peanut butter. Banana slices should be close together, and cover 1 side completely (usually 9 slices). Top with the other slice of bread.

Heat butter in saute pan on medium heat. Place sandwich in pan and brown for approximately 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add 2 ounces of butter to the pan and flip sandwich to other side and continue cooking for 2 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and peanut butter is melting. Cut into quarters and serve very hot.

Our version makes one key switch--we don't fry it--and one key addition: country gravy.

Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot of demand for country gravy in NH and we'd been unable to find any here. Equally unfortunately, neither of us are terribly ambitious, so we'd made no effort to find any elsewhere. But the other day I happened upon McCormick's Country Gravy Mix and figured here's my chance. Here's what I came up with:

Buck & O Burger, v.1.0
Jar of peanut butter
1 whole ripe banana
fajita wrap
one envelope McCormick's Country Gravy Mix
Jar of Fluff

Prepare gravy as per directions with one adjustment: thicken with two spoonfuls of Fluff.

Cut off one third of fajita wrap. Spread peanut butter on half of remainder. Smoosh banana into peanut butter. Roll wrap. Microwave briefly.

Ladle thickened gravy over wrap. Serve with mammoth glass of ice cold milk.

My friends, life simply does not get any better. It's like there's a party in your mouth and everyone's invited.

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 21, 2002 1:25 PM