The bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, commonly referred to as the BLT, is a classic sandwich that can be found almost everywhere.
Ingredients
- bacon, sliced in rashers
- lettuce, washed and shredded, torn, or in whole leaves
- ripe tomato, sliced into thin disks
- two slices of any type of bread
- sandwich spread or condiments (e.g., butter, margarine, mayonnaise, cream cheese, or mustard, although mayonnaise is traditional)
- ground black pepper, if desired
Procedures
- Toast the two slices of bread.
- While the bread is toasting broil or fry the bacon until crisp, taking care not to burn it.
- Once the toasted bread is ready, spread with desired condiments.
- Layer one slice of toast with the lettuce, tomato slices, and bacon. Add black pepper as desired. Top with other slice of toast.
- Cut into triangles or halves as preferred. Serve immediately.
Notes, tips, and variations
- The lettuce, if shredded, may be mixed with the mayonnaise before layering the toast.
- The lettuce may be omitted, or another green substituted. Watercress is a nice addition.
- You may add slivers of ripe avocado or raw or cooked red onion to the sandwich, or may substitute them for the lettuce or tomato.
- You may top the hot bacon in the sandwich with a slice of cheese, such as cheddar, American, muenster, or pepper jack, or use it to replace the tomato (a sandwich prepared in this way is called a BLC sandwich, for "bacon, lettuce, and cheese.")
- You may place a fried egg in the sandwich. If the egg is fried over-easy or sunny-side-up, the egg's yolk may be broken just before serving so that it dresses the contents of the sandwich.
- The slices of bread do not need to be toasted, although toast adds a nice texture.
- You may spread the bread with peanut butter for an interesting variation.
- You may top the sandwich or its contents with hollandaise sauce.
- Add ham, turkey and Swiss cheese for a BLT club sandwich.
- For a vegan variation on the BLT, use marinated and fried or grilled strips of tempeh to substitute for the bacon. Vegetable protein-based false bacon products are also available in some grocery freezers. Use mayonnaise, a vegan mayonnaise substitute, in place of the mayo.
- A BLT sandwich can also be served on a (non-toasted) hot dog bun or larger variation thereof (although in this case the bacon, lettuce, and tomato should all be shredded.)
Warnings
Take care when frying the bacon to avoid a grease fire. (Should one occur, do not douse the flames with water, as this will cause the fire to spread; instead, cover the pan tightly or heap with baking soda to smother the flames, and remove from the heat.)
| Servings | 1 |
|---|---|
| Time | 10-15 minutes |
| Difficulty |  |