Despite what you were taught as a kid, peanut butter is not a monogamous food. Nope, jelly's not its only culinary partner. It's hard to hear at first, but once you warm up to the idea, you'll realize peanut butter works better when it's not tied down.

Spread on a sandwich, peanut butter's subtle, salty-sweet notes shine when paired with a sliced pickle, some savory bacon strips and even a pat of butter (it's not insane: Food writer Ruth Reichl describes the combination as "sexy "). Take a gander at the pairings below. No offense to you, jelly, but it might be time to start seeking out a new sandwich beau.

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Photos courtesy of Getty Images. Infographic by HuffPost/Kate Bratskeir

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