BLT'S!!

[Meowzerz]

So, the classic BLT is lightly toasted white bread, lettuce (romaine, right?), bacon, tomato, and mayo (in most cases). Know it, love it. But does anyone else do variations on the classic?? I will sometimes do toasted bread, spinach, bacon, and honey mustard. It's so gooood! Please share your versions =)

[Georgia Strait]

BELT's!

Bacon, Egg (fried over), lettuce, tomato on toasted bread of choice with dijon mustard and hellman's mayo

fresh ground black pepper to taste
we don't like salty food so we skip any extra salt

this is good for dinner
open face is an option

must use crip lettuce

[cacruden]

"crip" lettuce.... is that like gang lettuce....

[kattyeyes]

I suppose you prefer blood lettuce! ;P

[FriedClamFanatic]

The British do a Bacon Butty...on a roll with some Brown Sauce. A true delight and I much prefer their bacon! I adapted it when we came back to the States.A Kiaser Roll, toasted or even better, grilled.........bacon, lettuce, Tomato and a combo of Mayo and Brown Sauce. If you can't find Brown Sauce, I have used Hoisin Suace in a pinch

I also love a bacon and Peanutbutter sandwich

[cacruden]

It was one of the things that stuck with me after finishing up working in London for 1y+1d.... had this craving for bacon on a roll with brown sauce. I actually had a special shipment made of brown sauce (4 bottles) from England one time.

[LuluTheMagnificent]

Love BLTs, For health reasons I now make BLTs w/ low cal white bread, low fat mayo, turkey bacon, omega 3 egg and lettuce & tomato. Still delicious.

[cacruden]

No mayo in a BLT, it is Bacon Lettuce and tomato with toast (buttered).

[EWSflash]

Just to make this thread perfect, there is no apostrophe in BLTs. It's a simple plural

A BLT to me doesn't have mayo usually, a ton of fresh-ground pepper, though, and on white toast, tomatoes are a challenge here but when we get the good ones, it's magic. Especially if there's some avocado on there, that's a BLAT and it's magical.
I'd add green chile, but so far I haven't thought of it in time.

Spinach sounds really good, too. Now I'm going to peruse the thread and probably wish I hadn't because I'll be having BLT dreams.

[Meowzerz]

I nevar did lern gud English... ;-)

I pepper most of my foods, especially salads and anything containing tomatoes, like crazy. I really enjoy tasting that pepper during AND after the sandwich.

I'm a spinach freak, I can eat it out of the bag like it's potato chips- although I probably do the chip thing more, unfortunately haha.

I am also craving BLTs every time I come back to this thread!

[michelleTO]

I don't like tomato (I know, I know...) so I make a BLAH - bacon, lettuce, avocado, hummus. Perfect.

[marymac]

Toast, mayo, tomato, bacon. Sometimes I ditch the lettuce.

[Gloriaa]

I love making club sandwiches. I roast a chicken, make some wonderfully flavored mayo(garlic, chile, pesto, wasabi...) fry up some bacon, toast three slices of bread and assemble a triple decker delight. I also add some freshness with lettuce, tomatoes- fresh or roasted and a roasted pepper. Delish. So messy....

[kattyeyes]

The turkey bacon club is the king of club sandwiches in my world. Only better thing was to skip the club aspect and have the same sandwich on thick slices of my uncle's homemade bread, soon after it came out of the oven.

[Brandon Nelson]

I enjoy pancetta and basil in place of the bacon and lettuce. There is a local 9 grain bread that is wicked good toasted up for a BLT.

Too bad there won't be a tomato worth eating until June. No I gots a BLT jones.

[kattyeyes]

You can make a BLT salad in the meantime. I made one for dinner this week with grape tomatoes (which taste good to me any time of year, even when not grown on my own deck). It was great!

[linguafood]

Oh, man! BLT salad is on heavy lunch rotation for me.

It's The Best! Crisp romaine, those orange grape tomatoes that are actually pretty sweet, and some good bacon crumbled all over. Dressing is so simple -- just Duke's and a bit of apple cider vinegar and LOTS of fresh ground black pepper.

Yumboski.

[kattyeyes]

:) It was my maiden voyage on the SS BLT this past week. ;) My spin on it was to make bacon guac with a small spoonful of Duke's mixed in, served over spring mix. Now I need more bacon! "See you" at lunch!

[rasputina]

Brioche sliced and toasted, butter lettuce, sprouts ( I grow my own) bacon, heirloom tomato and avocado with a little mayo is my favorite. Most of time I end up with Pepperidge Farm white bread though, at least it stands up reasonable well to all the ingredients.

[deet13]

I like using fried green tomatoes and salt pork for my BLT's.

[eclecticsynergy]

For me, the perfect condiment for a BLT is Durkee's Famous Sauce. Tangy, slightly spicy, this is what really puts it over the top. Can be a bit hard to find these days, but it's well worth seeking out. Also great on ham & cheese, turkey, or pastrami. And pretty darn good on a burger sometimes.

[plasticanimal]

Hmm, I've never heard of it. What type of sauce is it?

[suzigirl]

I have heard of it but like you I want to know what it is like before I take the plunge. I hate to waste food.

[eclecticsynergy]

It's not unlike a mustard/mayo mix, but more on the sour side rather than sweet. Really gets the salivaries going. As mentioned, slightly spicy. Makes great deviled eggs, potato salad, cole slaw dressing. Comes in a smallish tapered jar with a distinctive blue & yellow label.

[suzigirl]

That sounds really good. I wish I had known that before. I would have tried it sooner

[PotatoHouse]

my wife and I came across this sandwich when a friend of ours was the head chef of our local bistro. You take good bread, I prefer sourdough, slather it with red pepper jelly, add thick cut pepper bacon cooked Crispy and sharp cheddar cheese, and cook it up like a grilled cheese sandwich. YUMMY!

[HillJ]

Our grilled cheese/tomatoe meets BLAT last night was inspired by this thread and the 2 lb of blue cheese dilemma being discussed elsewhere on the boards. So good we may "rinse & repeat" tonight.

[plasticanimal]

Growing up, my dad always used kaiser buns for BLTs.

[Veggo]

I just polished off a monster BLTA, in my lanai, reclined on my fouton, under a comforter with 4 pillows, as I watch Double Indemnity on TCM. Life is good.

[Meowzerz]

*So* good. haha! BLT's are feel-good food apparently! I wonder if it resonates with all of our childhoods meeting our present lives. Yes, I'm gettin' deep. lol

[HillJ]

All this BLT talk, tonight we made grilled blue cheese sandwiches stuffed with the addition of crispy bacon, slices of tomato, avocado and and topped it with a fried egg.

Man oh man, good.

[suzigirl]

I am not drooling.... OK, I lied. I'll take two please. That tops the yum list. Not a classic blt because there is no l but if it were on the menu(and it will go on my list) I would order that and be back next week for another

[HillJ]

We had marble rye and texas toast to make the sandwiches and the tt won out. Even done as an open face sandwich it would be killer good.

[suzigirl]

Good choice. TT although again not classic sounds kick ass. I know I am not the only one that was wondering which bread it landed on. Kudos on the choices.

[thymeoz]

omg, i've gotta make this soon!

[Meowzerz]

Oh boy...Blue cheese is my one true love.

[wonderwoman]

baby spinich instead of lettuce; toasted whole wheat, either sourdough or tuscan.

[dave_c]

I like BLAT's

Bacon - Peppered or Smoked. Never Maple
Lettuce - Iceberg
Avocado - Haas
Tomatoes
Bread - toasted medium white or wheat.
Mayo

[ipsedixit]

I wish Peter Luger offered a BLT using their bacon ...

[PotatoHouse]

I use a good strong flavored San Francisco sourdough bread.

[Phoebe]

Avocado is great on a BLT. The combination of bacon with avocado is heavenly!!!

[ipsedixit]

Totally concur.

I may start adding crunchy chopped bacon pieces to my guacamole sometime.

[kattyeyes]

No, no, not "may"--do it. Bacon guac rules! I'm just sad I only figured it out earlier this year.

[kattyeyes]

Bacon guac over cheesy eggs. Don't say I never gave you anything. Merry Christmas!

[ipsedixit]

I think I need to change clothing on the lower part of my body ...

[happybaker]

; )

[Phoebe]

ipsedixit,
I'll have to give your suggestion a try. Crunchy bacon added to guacamole sounds tasty!!!

[kcshigekawa]

A friend make a delicious BLAT, on WW toast, with Best Foods mayo on one side, and a combo of Dijon and ketchup on the other.

[thymeoz]

on the menu at a local restaurant: a lobster blt. sounds luscious.

[Meowzerz]

Oh yeah...I can totally see that being awesome

[splatgirl]

I was wondering how it was possible that no one has mentioned lobster. I just had one last night. If it weren't for the winter "tomato", it would have been fabulous.

[suzigirl]

I love you(I was talking to the sandwich). Seriously, I bet that was outstanding. I would love to see that on a menu near me.

[EWSflash]

+1

[FrankD]

My fave is to make a chunky chicken salad - chicken, celery, finely chopped onion and/or green pepper, mayo, pepper - and put lettuce and the salad on one side, and then bacon and tomato (plus more lettuce if you want) on the other. Completely overcomes the problem of dry chicken breast, plus the onion and green pepper give it a little extra bite and crunch.

Messy as h*** to eat, though.

[RhonelyInsanediego]

Whenever I make this the daughter has me sub sliced cucumbers for the tomatoes. I tried it and it was really good. Still I like the BLT much better than the BLC, but it was still good, as bacon makes everything taste good.

[Meowzerz]

Interesting! That does sound good somehow haha.

[ipsedixit]

Can I ask a general question.

How much bacon do people like in their BLTs or variations thereof?

If I'm jus using regular sized sandwich bread then I want at least a pound of bacon, and good really thick cut applewood smoked bacon.

[Veggo]

I cut 4 slices of thick-cut bacon in half before frying, and I do a sort of basket weave with the bacon on my Pepperidge Farm Hearty White toast. I only do BLTA 's when I have absolutely perfect tomatos and avocados, and they hardly require any mayo at all, but I nevertheless put a thin layer of Dukes on both slices. Too much makes for a slip plane and ingredients try to squish out. Toast has to be perfect. I'm having one later today, I have perfect T&A. No, not that T&A, I'm talking fruits and vegetables.

[Jelly71]

A whole pound? I can't even imagine how tall and thick that would be! Impressive!

Personally, I use 3 or 4 slices. Especially if I am adding avocado. And can I say how much it makes me giggle when I see people on this thread saying they sub avocado for the mayo? I slather on both when available. There is no sub for mayo in my world. And yes, I acknowledge that my mayo addiction is a little out of control.

[linguafood]

That's pretty much what I do, too. 3-4 slices cut in half before frying. And that's plenty of bacon, at least for me.

Duke's -- a generous slathering √
Kumato or other good tomato sliced thick √
Green leaf lettuce / cosmopolitan √
Toasted whole wheat √
Avocado -- not always, but sometimes
Slice of sharp cheddar -- sometimes, but then no avocado

[linguafood]

"At least a pound"?

You're nuts.

[rasputina]

I do 2-3 slices depending on the size of the bread

[al b. darned]

I like a BLOT: A bacon, lettuce, onion, and tomato sandwich. Leaf lettuce only, please, preferably red leaf. At red onions of course. On toasted rye bread, preferably, with Cain's real mayonnaise. Yes, store-bought tomatoes in the winter. If possible, to the on the vine variety.

[HouseSparrow]

I like to add kimchi.
And onion is a big one for me. Sometimes it's just all onion instead of the tomato (esp. when they're out of season and all mealy).

[Meowzerz]

Sounds good...if a little cruelly fragrant =) lol. I'd try it.

[prima]

avocado

arugula or basil instead of lettuce.

basil mayo.

[escondido123]

When the deep purple plums were perfect, I made myself a BLP. The sweet of the plum, the salt of the bacon and of course lots of mayo--all on lightly toasted 4-Grain bread.

[HillJ]

That sounds so interesting!

[Gio]

Winter version: Crusty Italian bread, TJ's organic mayo, thick sliced house cured bacon (from a local farm), hydroponic vine tomato from Maine, either Romaine or arugula or braised broccoli rabe (whatever's in the fridge). Grilled in the George Forman till nice and toasted...

Summer version: Same as above but with garden grown tomatoes.

[alkapal]

the campari tomatoes have a good tomato flavor, and last pretty well in their container on the counter.

[jmcarthur8]

Toasted sourdough, peppered bacon, tomatoes from the garden, iceberg lettuce, white American cheese and Duke's.

That's my BLT with C on T.

[Meowzerz]

Now I really want that exact sandwich

[kengk]

My favorite time of the year is that short window when I have both good tomatoes and lettuce in the garden.

I dislike mayo and generally add a splash of vinaigrette.

[Querencia]

When I feel a BLT season coming on I cook the whole pound of bacon by laying the slices on a low wide bun pan, about 30 min at 350* until nearly done, then keep the slices in a plastic bag in the ref for up to two weeks. When I want some, I wrap a few slices in a paper towel and zap. Do not do this for more than 5 seconds or bacon will burn. Gets crisp almost instantly. Very very convenient.

[relizabeth]

Tomato: ideally just picked from back yard. reasonable off season substations: tomato jam or slow roasted tomatoes
Lettuce: I like a Bibb or Boston, arugula ain't too bad, either
Mayo: homemade or hellmans
Bread: I like a toasted wheat
Bacon: husband is vegetarian. Tempeh panfried is good sub. Either fakin bacon or marinate tempeh w molasses, adobo paste from can of chipotles and then pan fry
Avocado: I adore
Egg: fried w runny yolk instead of Mayo. too fancy to bother with at home, particularly if tomatoes are from backyard.

[HillJ]

Ohhhhh tomato jam, another excellent suggestion.

[biondanonima]

Yes yes yes to roasted tomatoes or tomato jam/confit. I don't care for raw tomatoes but roasted, they take a BLT to a whole new level. I'm also a huge fan of avocado.

[sr44]

And roasted tomatoes or jam/confit expand the seasons

[HillJ]

two toasted slices of rye bread with red pepper hummus
spread on both slices, add
thick cut bacon and I like it crisp (usually 4 slices)
a few Bibb lettuce leaves
sliced Tomato
sliced Red Onion
Sliced Hard boiled egg
Avocado slices

[ipsedixit]

Eggs, eh?

Not sure I'm really feeling that.

Interesting addition, tho ...

[HillJ]

Hard boiled eggs r a must!

[Veggo]

I might try that- I have 2 leftover hard boiled eggs from my deviled egg contribution to tomorrow's polo match in Sarasota.

[HillJ]

Let me know what you think.

[MonMauler]

The best BLT's, actually have an over easy fried egg inside. The yolk gushes out and coats the inside of the sandwich. It's a thing of beauty. Even a hard fried egg in a BLT elevates it.

[HillJ]

So true. Egg addition is outstanding, hard boiled, fried. Even just a prepared yolk alone makes me happy.

[Samalicious]

Nah, then you have have a egg sandwich with bacon lettuce and tomato.

[HillJ]

Nah, you have a delicious version of a BLT, thank you very much :)

[ipsedixit]

I could see an over easy fried egg, but hard boiled just seems a bit awkward.

Fried egg, bacon, tomato, toast ... that's sort of like a diner breakfast plate in sandwich form ...

[Will Owen]

You could slice the egg - my favorite sandwich is that with liverwurst and Swiss - but there's too much going on with a BLT to add anything more that could fall out, I think. The genius of avocado is that it tends to stay put while adding a bland richness.

A good homemade white or sourdough is what I want a BLT on, and a light toasting helps. But if the tomato is crunchy or flavorless there's just no point. Have a BLE or BLA instead …

[EM23]

A runny yolk is the best. Someone on these boards called the BLT with an egg, a BELT, a while back:)

[MonMauler]

Totally agreed re: runny yolks.

A bar that I frequent, kind of divey but with a pretty good rotating beer selection, actually has a BELT on their menu. Unfortunately, the egg is simply fried, with a broken yolk. It's still a good sandwich, but it does not compare to a BLT with a nice over-easy, sunny side up or even poached egg, where you get the delicious decadence of a runny yolk coating the inside of the sandwich.

[jmcarthur8]

God, that sounds delicious.

[rasputina]

No way would I eat that.

[Meowzerz]

oh yeah! Red pepper hummus s great on a BLT!

[Veggo]

Is the B the Bibb lettuce?, or are you going vegan on us? We porkers need to know.

[HillJ]

oops, forgot the bacon...just added it now...

[ipsedixit]

I thought it was for "boiled" ...

[Florida Hound]

Make that "bacon" beef bacon for a non-pork version. I don't do pork and most turkey bacons are bland, by my taste buds. The beef version (Gwaltney) seems similar to regular bacon. Also, I have used Thousand Island Dressing to substitute for mayo, especially when we are out of mayo.

[happybaker]

Try pan frying pastrami until crisp as your bacon substitute. Tasty!

[HillJ]

My brothers like oven baking slices of pastrami and rounds of salami as subs for the bacon.

[happybaker]

Oh! Salami!

Never thought of that and ti would be awesome : )

[Gio]

As is pan fried prosciutto...

[Florida Hound]

Reply to happybaker: I tried your pastrami substitute for a breakfast covered dish the other day, and I liked it a lot. I had found a recipe for an appetizer that looked like it might make an interesting addition to the breakfast: Cut bacon in half lengthwise, sprinkle the bacon slices with grated parmesan cheese, wrap it around a breadstick and microwave. The foolish recipe wanted the thing nuked on high for "3 to 6 minutes" and my first attempts were blackened and trashed (by me). But the 2- 3 minute micro for this was about right, and pastrami sliced the same way worked fine. (I had some with beef bacon and some with pastrami). Thanks for the tip!

[ipsedixit]

I always like avocado and some red onions in my BLT.

[Veggo]

I suppose we could call that a BLOAT...it won't float, sorry, ipse.

[ipsedixit]

You may be onto something ...

[BuildingMyBento]

How about a BLAB? Bacon, lettuce, avocado, brioche? Better yet, make it someone's name... T. Blab, so that we can get tomatoes in there too.

I mentioned in another thread that when I'm in China, every now and then a BLT is in the cards. The bad news is, often the only place to get it on the go is a Subway.

[EWSflash]

If it's a BLOAT it's gonna float. Like those kelp bladders and other things we won't mention.

[zippypinhead]

If you're gonna do it, might as well go all the way.....
Toast the bread in some of the bacon grease.
Yummy!!!!

[Meowzerz]

lol who are you! Paula Deen or Michael Symon!? ;)

[Veggo]

Supper tonight was BLTA, iceberg L, Dukes mayo. I'm sassified.

[Meowzerz]

yum.

[kseiverd]

I'm satisfied with B's?? No lettuce... fine with me. Tomoatoes ONLY when they're super great summer ones. White bread, mayo and bacon... works for me.

[Meowzerz]

True...ain't nothin compare to a fresh tomato :)

[tardigrade]

BLTs are a summer treat - no point in eating them if you can't get a fresh tomato, preferably one harvested within 20 feet of the kitchen. Additions are allowed, but it can't be a BLT if it doesn't have bacon, lettuce and tomato.

[rasputina]

Oh yes, I ate many a bacon only sandwich on toast as a kid.

[Crockett67]

True dat!

[debbypo]

I like to sub thin slices of avocado for the mayo. Also, it's great with arugula instead of romaine....mmmnn too bad tomatoes are out of season.

[Meowzerz]

Avocado would be interesting.I agree about the tomatoes! I went through a big tomato sandwich phase over the summer that I wouldn't mind repeating right now!

[Crockett67]

Should try with the avacado.