David Hungate
Banana Croquettes
You might say I’m part monkey. I eat a banana every day for my mid-morning snack. As a kid, I loved to nosh on frozen bananas. And these days, I make a mean peanut butter and banana sandwich.
When I was offered the chance to make banana croquettes to be photographed for a food article in our sister magazine Blue Ridge Country, I went bananas! Ok, not literally, but I really was excited to try a new spin on the fruit I devour so frequently.
A staple in Kentucky, these croquettes aren’t fried like you might expect of similarly named recipes. Simply put, it’s halved bananas smeared in mayonnaise thinned with milk and rolled in peanuts. Kentuckians serve the concoction atop a bed of greens or solo. Other variations include rolling the bananas in corn flakes or slicing the bananas into rounds and reassembling with peanut butter before applying the mayonnaise and nuts.
A big debate in my house is whether a banana sandwich refers to one with peanut butter or one with mayonnaise. I prefer the former, but will admit that I’ve never tried the latter. I’ve always stuck with the thought that mayo is for meat-based sandwiches and things like potato salads.
After tasting the croquettes, my feelings about bananas and mayonnaise are confirmed. But that doesn’t mean they’re not for you. Give them a try!
Banana Croquettes
(I made a small batch, so these are the measurements I came up with)
- 2 medium to large bananas, halved
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- splash of milk
- ¼ cup peanuts, crushed
Combine mayonnaise and milk. Cover the halved bananas with the mixture. Roll in peanuts.