BLTS

A BLT will never not hit. I’ve been obsessed with these my whole life for understandable reasons: nothing beats a bacon sandwich. Now certainly not all BLTS are created equally, I’ve seen a range of different vehicles for bread, some exciting, some disappointing, flabby bacon, unseasoned tomatoes, and watery lettuce. My philosophy for a BLT (and my cooking in general) is to keep it simple but use the best and freshest ingredients: high quality bacon and bread, in-season tomatoes, and fresh lettuce. When it comes to BLTs, and even grilled cheeses, white bread is my top pick. Something about soft and sweet white bread is very nostalgic to me (especially when it’s grilled in butter) and unlike ciabatta or a baguette, it doesn’t have a tough crust and chew that is sometimes unpleasant. Obviously, I wouldn’t want to eat a chicken cutlet panini on white bread but for BLTs, it just works. Something important to note is that I do not put Mayo on my BLT- I’m not a Mayo girl BUT I do love a good sauce on mine. If I’m at a deli nothing is better than a packet of balsamic vinaigrette, but if I’m making these at home I’ve recently been into homemade honey mustard. I think the sweetness from the honey and subtle heat from the mustard compliments the fatty bacon and buttery bread perfectly. One more thing to add is that I use a maple smoked bacon from Whole Foods that is literally so good. If you’re into a candied bacon vibe or you like eating your bacon with maple syrup you’ll love this bacon too and the maple flavor is what sparked my idea for honey mustard as the mayo replacement. I could go on about this for days but here’s the recipe…

sandwich ingredients: (this is a rough estimate depending on how many sandwiches you plan on making and how much of everything you’re putting onto each sandwich)

white bread

ripe tomatoes (I love a good heirloom tomato in the summer)

any kind of bacon you like (I use this one)

butter leaf lettuce (you can use any kind you like I’d just avoid anything like spinach, kale, or arugula)

a few tablespoons of mayo OR softened butter

sauce ingredients: (this is probably enough for 2-3 sandwiches, depending on how much you like but again scale up if you need)

a small spoonful of mayo

a spoonful of whole-grain mustard

a heavy drizzle of honey

method:

preheat your oven to 350 F

slice thick slices of your tomatoes and SEASON with kosher salt on both sides (the salt will draw out the water and most importantly season your tomato so don’t skip it.)

lay your bacon on a wire rack fitted over a sheet tray and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown (you can cook your bacon however you like but I find that when you cook it in the oven it lays the most flat which is good for sandwich making. I like my bacon crispy but with some chew still left to it)

wash and dry your lettuce

mix your honey mustard ingredients (i really just do this by look and taste it’s not super precise)

once your bacon is ready preheat a pan over medium-low

butter or mayo one side of your bread slices (butter brings in great flavor but mayo is great in this case because it is spreadable and quick)

toast your bread mayo or butter side down until golden

pat your tomatoes dry and drizzle with some evoo (optional but recommended)

sauce your bread (toasted side on the outside) and assemble (I do lettuce then tomato then bacon)