Make a BLT Sandwich

Basic, no-frills BLT sandwiches couldn't be easier to make — the ingredients are right in the name! BLTs (or bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches) are simple yet delicious and make a great breakfast, brunch, or lunch dish. In addition, because these sandwiches are so simple, they're also incredibly easy to modify into hundreds of scrumptious variations. If you're ready to fire up your griddle and make a mouthwatering BLT, see Step 1 below to get started!

Ingredients

Classic BLT

  • 2 slices (or more) of bread (toasted, if desired)
  • 3-4 slices of bacon
  • Lettuce
  • 2-3 slices of tomato (sliced thick)
  • Mayonnaise (optional)
  • Mustard (optional)

California BLT

  • Classic BLT ingredients
  • 1 Hass avocado
  • Spritz of lemon juice (optional)

Breakfast Special BLT

  • Classic BLT ingredients
  • 1 egg
  • 2 slices of cheese (cheddar, jack, or Swiss recommended)

Royal BLT

  • Burrata cheese
  • 3-4 slices of pancetta (thick-cut)
  • 1 brioche roll or bun
  • 1 heirloom tomato
  • Arugula
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar

Steps

Making a Classic BLT

  1. Cook the bacon. If there's one thing that's absolutely, positively, 100% crucial to a BLT, it's bacon. Delicious, delectable bacon. Turn a burner on your stove to medium heat and place a large or medium-sized frying pan on it. When the pan is hot (you'll know it's ready if water flicked on to immediately sizzles), add your bacon strips and let them begin to fry. Use tongs or a long fork to periodically turn your bacon strips as they cook to avoid burning. When they have achieved a pleasing brownish color, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. The entire process shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes or so.
    • While waiting for your bacon to cook, you can proceed to the next few steps to save time. Just keep an eye on your bacon to make sure it doesn't burn.
    • As an alternative to frying, you can bake bacon by placing it in a shallow cooking pan and leaving it in an oven set to 375o F (190o C) for about 15 to 20 minutes.
    • The "correct" crispiness of bacon is a subject of endless debate among bacon aficionados. Some people like their bacon soft and chewy, while others like it burnt to a crisp. Ultimately, it's up to you. The earlier you remove your bacon from the pan, the softer it will be.
  2. Add your spreads to one slice of bread. Next, take out two slices of bread and lay them flat on a clean, clear cutting board or work area. Spread mayonnaise (or a substitute like Miracle Whip) on one slice of bread. Then, spread mustard over the mayonnaise. Finally, add any optional spreads or condiments that you care for. For instance, some like to add a little "kick" to their BLTs with a splash of Tabasco sauce.
    • If you like, you can toast your bread to give your sandwich a crispy texture before applying your spreads.
    • Obviously, if you don't care for mayonnaise or mustard, there's no need to add either to your sandwich. You may find that having at least one spread helps your sandwich "stick together", though it's certainly not necessary.
  3. Add a few tomato slices. Next, grab a tomato, turn it on its side, and make a few vertical cuts to produce several circular slices. Lay these evenly over your bread. Your tomato layer may be as thick as you like — some people like lots of tomatoes, while others prefer just a few thin slices.
    • You can use whichever type of tomato you like for your BLT. Traditional, "standard" BLTs are often depicted with large slices of beefsteak tomato, but you can also use a more flavorful varieties like heirloom or Roma tomatoes if you wish.
  4. Add your lettuce. If you haven't already done so, wash your lettuce thoroughly in cold water to remove any dirt and make the leaves crisp and cold. Lay a few leaves of lettuce over your tomatoes. Again, the amount of lettuce you add is up to you. Many find a leaf or two to be sufficient.
    • As with tomatoes, the variety of lettuce you use is your choice. While many enjoy ordinary iceberg lettuce, other types, like romaine lettuce, are great alternatives. You can even use a different green, like spinach, if you prefer, though in this case your sandwich won't technically be a BLT.
  5. Add your bacon. If your bacon hasn't finished cooking at this point, wait for it to do so. When you've removed it from the stove, lay it on a plate lined with paper towels for a few moments to allow any excess grease to be absorbed. Then, transfer the bacon to your sandwich. The amount of bacon you use is up to you — some folks like a thick mouthful of bacon, while others prefer just a taste. Depending on the size of your bread, 3-4 strips is usually enough to provide a satisfying crunch.
  6. Place your second piece of bread on top of your sandwich. Congratulations! Your sandwich is ready to eat. At this point, you can either enjoy your delicious BLT or continue adding fillings to create a double-decker sandwich.
    • If your sandwich fillings are stacked too high and your sandwich falls apart when you try to eat it, you may want to spear your sandwich with a toothpick to keep it together.
  7. For a double-decker, add more fillings and another piece of bread. Sometimes, an ordinary sandwich just doesn't cut it. If you're feeling especially hungry, consider adding a second layer of ingredients above your existing sandwich, then capping your double-decker with a third piece of bread. This second layer can contain all of the fillings you've used thus far or just the ones that you wish.
    • For example, if we wanted to add a second layer with all of the ingredients in the sandwich, we would spread mustard and mayonnaise on top of our current sandwich, add a few tomato slices, add a leaf of lettuce, add a few strips of bacon, and finally add another piece of bread on the very top.

Making a California BLT

  1. Assemble a classic BLT, minus the final piece of bread. As noted in the intro, there are hundreds of ways to make a BLT. This variation adds a little west coast flair to the standard BLT by adding some of the key ingredients in a California club sandwich. To start, you'll want to build a BLT as directed above until the point just before you'd normally be finished. In other words, cook some bacon, then spread a little mustard and mayonnaise on your bread, and finally add tomato, lettuce, and your cooked bacon to your sandwich. From here, we'll be adding a few extra touches to make our sandwich unique.
    • For a true west coast classic, you may want to consider using sourdough, San Francisco's signature bread.
  2. Add a few avocado slices. Peel and cut a ripe Hass avocado into several thick french-fry sized slices. Lay these slices down above your final layer of bacon. The avocado gives the sandwich a creamy, satisfying quality not present in an ordinary BLT. The smooth texture of the avocado contrasts especially well with crunchy toast.
    • Avocados are best when they're ripe. Ripe Hass avocados (the most common variety on the west coast) have dark green-to-black skin and a firm, yet yielding texture. The fruit should feel somewhat weighty and should have no obviously flattened or "smooshed" patches. If you're unsure whether an avocado is ripe, check under the brown stem remnant at the bottom of the avocado. If the skin underneath is bright yellow-green, you've picked a ripe avocado. If it's brown, your avocado may be bruised or overripe.[1]
  3. Optionally, add a spritz of lemon juice. After adding your avocado, you may want to squeeze a thin slice of lemon over your sandwich to produce a few drops of lemon juice. If you do so, be conservative — you want just a hint of lemony zest, not a BLT that makes you pucker. If done correctly, the BLT will have a slight tangy flavor which, for some, is absolutely mouthwatering when paired with the meatiness of the bacon and the smoothness of the avocado.
  4. Add your final piece of bread. Congratulations! Your California BLT is ready to eat. If you desire, you can add another layer of ingredients and an additional piece of bread to create a double-decker. If you're looking for a truly Californian experience, you may want to opt for this — California clubs, the state's signature sandwich, are customarily served as double-deckers.

Making a Breakfast Special BLT

  1. Cook your bacon, saving the grease. This BLT variation is great for early birds looking for a satisfying sandwich on the way to work. To begin, start cooking your bacon as normal, but, when you're finished, save some of the grease, which will be used for frying an egg.
    • If you don't like the idea of frying an egg in bacon grease, you may dispose of the grease and instead use another form of fat to fry your egg, like butter, oil, or margarine.
  2. Assemble a classic BLT, minus the final piece of bread. While you're waiting for your bacon to finish cooking, you'll probably want to make the most of your time by doing most of the work to assemble your sandwich. Lay down a piece of bread, add any spreads you desire, and add tomato, lettuce, and bacon (when it finishes cooking). As above, you'll build on this basic BLT template to create your new sandwich.
  3. Fry an egg in your bacon grease. When you've transferred all of your bacon out of the frying pan, drained it, and added it to your sandwich, crack an egg over your frying pan. Wait for your egg to cook to your desired level of hardness, monitoring as it cooks to ensure it doesn't overcook or burn.
    • See How to Fry an Egg for specific egg-frying techniques. Essentially, you'll want to fry your egg in the pan for several minutes until its edges are white, then drop a spoonful of water in the pan next to the egg and cover both the egg and the water with a lid. This steams the upper side of the egg, ensuring it cooks. After this point, cook to your desired level of hardness, checking under the lid several times to observe your progress. Transfer the egg out of the pan when it's done — you shouldn't ever need to flip it.
  4. Add your fried egg and cheese to your BLT. When your egg is finished cooking, gently place it on top of your sandwich. Then, add a few slices of your favorite cheese on top of the egg. Almost any type of cheese pairs well with these ingredients, though standard omelet cheeses like cheddar, jack, and Swiss are all safe bets.
  5. Add your final piece of bread! Congratulations! Your Breakfast Special BLT is ready to eat. The fried egg and cheese make this hearty, satisfying meal that tastes something like an entire American breakfast in one sandwich.
    • If you're eating on the go, bring a napkin — the egg yolk can be quite runny, depending on how you've cooked it.

Making a Royal BLT

  1. Fry pancetta. For the BLT variations above, we've stuck to the same basic template: bread, spreads, tomato, lettuce, bacon, and bread. As far as the specifics of these ingredients are concerned, we've left the choices up to you — you may have used anything from white bread to rye, supermarket bacon to gourmet butcher's cuts, and so on. However, with this dignified, elegant recipe, there's no settling for standard fare. Start by frying up some high-quality pancetta for a taste that's second-to-none.
    • Pancetta is an Italian variety of bacon that is unsmoked (by contrast, most American bacon is smoked) and often flavored with various aromatics.[2] Pancetta is cooked in the exact same way as bacon — either fried several minutes per side in a pan or baked in the oven.
  2. Spread burrata cheese on a brioche bun. Rather than opting for the standard bread and mustard/mayonnaise combo for this sandwich, this time, we'll use more indulgent ingredients. Cut a gourmet brioche bun in half and spread fresh burrata cheese on the bottom half. Be generous with your burrata — unlike mustard and mayo, you can get away with applying a fairly thick spread here.
    • Brioche is a rich, tender French pastry bread made with a high egg and butter content. This bread is sweet, light and fluffy, which allows it to contrast with the heavier flavors in the sandwich.
    • Burrata cheese is a soft cheese made from mozzarella and cream that makes a creamy, luxurious spread for BLTs and many other sandwiches. The outer portion of the cheese is often pure mozzarella, while the inside is the characteristic mixture of cheese and cream. Use the inside portion for spreading.
  3. Add arugula. Next, on top of your tomato slices, sprinkle a handful of arugula greens. Since arugula comes in the form of many small leaves rather than one or two large leaves like lettuce, it can be tricky to get them to stay in the sandwich. However, if you put the arugula into your sandwich now, before you add the tomatoes, the leaves will be held in place by the sticky burrata cheese, ensuring a tidy (or at the very least tidier) sandwich.
    • Sometimes called "rocket" greens, arugula is a more nutritious alternative to ordinary iceberg lettuce. Arugula also has a somewhat nutty, peppery taste and a noticeable fragrance, making it a stimulating addition to almost any sandwich.
  4. Add heirloom tomato slices. Next, you'll want to add flavorful slices of tomato to your sandwich. While there are many valid choices, heirloom tomatoes) sometimes called "heritage" tomatoes) are a great bet. These tomatoes, frequently described as "rich" and/or "rustic", have a splotchy appearance that can range from yellowish to red to green or even brown and have a sweeter, more succulent flavor than ordinary varieties.[3]
    • Note that heirloom tomatoes don't keep particularly well, so buying fresh, when possible, is best.
  5. Add your cooked pancetta. At this point, if you've been cooking your pancetta while you've been assembling your sandwich, it should be almost done. When the pancetta is finished cooking, remove it from the pan and allow it to drain on a plate lined with paper towels. After draining for a few moments, move the pancetta to your sandwich.
    • You may add as much as you like, but, as with bacon, 3-4 pieces is often enough.
  6. Drizzle the top half of the bun with oil and vinegar. We're almost done with our gourmet BLT! Add a final tangy, savory garnish to your burger by making your own vinaigrette from oil and vinegar. Combine three parts olive oil and one part balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Use very small amounts of each — aim to make no more than a few spoonfuls of vinaigrette total. Drizzle about a spoonful of your vinaigrette evenly over the top bun.
    • If you have leftover vinaigrette, don't drench your bun. Using too much can make your sandwich a sloppy mess. Instead, combine it with leftover arugula for an improvised side salad!
  7. Place the top half of the bun on top of the sandwich. At last, you're done! Turn your top bun over and enjoy your premium, top-of-the line sandwich.
    • As a side, try using the aforementioned arugula and vinaigrette salad, or, for a decadent alternative, some homemade fries!



Tips

  • Do not overload with mayonnaise - this will remove the bacon, lettuce, and tomato flavor from the sandwich, making it pointless to put anything else on the bread.
  • If desirable, toast the bread before putting the mayonnaise on.
  • Add some vinegar (if desired) to the lettuce - it will give it great flavor.

Warnings

  • If preparing the sandwiches in advance, do not overload on mayo, as this will just make the bread soggy.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.nwedible.com/2012/05/never-buy-a-rotten-avocado-again.html
  2. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-bacon-pancetta-prosciutto-ingredient-intelligence-79111
  3. ↑ http://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=63211
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