BLT Sandwich

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posted in Lunch by Kathy Maister

Difficulty:

Sandwiches can be as exotic as you like, with all sorts of fancy ingredients. But, there is nothing quite as satisfying as a classic “BLT.”

Today I’m going to show you how to make a Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich, better know as the BLT!

We’ve already discussed how to cook bacon in the microwave.

We have also solved the mystery of how to actually wash your own lettuce!

We still need to slice a tomato. A really sharp kitchen knife or a serrated edge knife will cut the tomato beautifully. (Serrated edge knives are the ones with the jagged edge.)

Be sure to always use a sawing motion or you may end up squishing the tomato!

Then we’ll add all of this to your favorite bread, which of course should be toasted. A dollop of mayonnaise adds the finishing touch to a perfect BLT!

Spread each slice with about 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise. This is not a sandwich you should be eating if you are counting calories!

Add the lettuce, the bacon and the sliced tomato. (It doesn’t really matter what order you follow.)

All of the amounts are adjustable to your taste. And that’s all there is to a BLT!

To slice the sandwich, (optional) use a serrated-edge bread knife , with a sawing motion (as usual with this knife).

Enjoy!

PS. Did you know that sandwiches are named after an actual person, (you guessed it) the English Earl of Sandwich? Apparently, the Earl of Sandwich had an obsession for gambling. Because he didn’t want to be disturbed long enough to eat a big meal, slices of bread with various fillings were brought to him at the gaming table.

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26 Comments

Ben said:

I’ve always thought that story was apocryphal.

Fred said:

I found your site quite by accident and was very much impressed with the detail in which you describe cooking techniques with even the easiest to prepare of items, such as a baked potatoe, along with the photos. As a result I am subscribing and wish you much success with your site

Virginia said:

hello,

well i love making these except i have one problem, i dont like tomatos…i never had…what could i use to replace that ?..i kno it could be anything i wanted !!! but what do you think!!!!

Kathy Maister said:

Ben, the Earl story is totally true!

Fred, no detail is too small to omit! I remember watching Julia Child describing making a dish by saying â€œcontinue to stir until you see that first waft of steamâ€¦â€ How perfectly precise she was in every detail of cooking!

Virginia, how about some sliced cucumbers or avocado or even some chicken or a sliced hard cooked egg would be great! (Itâ€™s beginning to sound like a club sandwich!)

Jon said:

Virginia, I’m with you on the no tomatos so have never fancied a BLT. But thinking about it what about red peppers – either char grilled or some of those fancy ones out of a jar in oil.

Though for me the best bacon sandwich has to be thick white toasted bread; butter straight on so it melts; grilled bacon and brown sauce not tomato ketchup.

Kathy, can you get brown sauce in the USA?

Kathy Maister said:

Jon, I love the idea of the roasted red pepper, but I’m not too sure about the brown sauce-it’s a bit strong for my taste! Here in the USA we do have “A1 Steak Sauce” and some stores do carry HP Sauce.

Virgina said:

wow thanks jon..i might just try that..yum yum!!!:)

Jesse said:

Cool site, I have my own way of making BLT’s but thought id look up on how others do it. I add cheese to mine, always on top of the bacon so it gets slightly melted. It really makes BLT’s much much better imo.

Kathy Maister said:

Thanks Jesse, The melted cheese sounds wonderful! At least with the bacon and tomato…not too sure about the lettuce as well!

Haley said:

hello,

I hate tomatoe and lettuce so I don’t know what to put to my BLT sandwich. Kathy can you recomend me something that goes with your taste? By the way, I love the website.Everyday I see it because I love to cook!

Kathy Maister said:

Sliced cucumbers, avocado, fried egg, hard cooked sliced egg, sprouts, ….

Barbara said:

I was wondering! Having looked up several receipes for blt sandwiches or clubsandwiches (depending on what you put on it: I put, mayo, cheese, tomato, very thin slices of chicken (cooked of course) and grilled bacon on it), should you toast the bread before you dress it, or should it stay “untoasted”. Or is this just a matter of personal taste?

Kathy Maister said:

Toasting the bread is more traditional and would be my preference, but if YOU prefer untoasted BLTs – go for it!

john williamson said:

Wife and I love B.L.T’s and we also enjoy a little kick to such a sandwich. So intead of using Mayo. we use Horseradish Sauce. Try it if you like that bit of spicyness as we do.

Kathy Maister said:

John, that’s a GREAT idea! Wow, I’ll bet that sure does add a kick to a BLT. I’ll have to give that a try!

Lisa said:

I love BLT’s, but I can’t eat mayo right now. It’s too dry without – any suggestions?

Eric said:

Hi Lisa,

You may want to try nayonaise. 100% vegan so if it is a question of allergies or intolerance to mayonnaise that might work. It tastes a little bit different but should do the job. It is made by Nasoya but I believe there are other companies making it as well.

Eric

Kathy Maister said:

Great suggestion Eric!

Lisa, I don’t know how you feel about avocados, but they are so rich and creamy you probably would not even notice the lack of mayo, and would be a great addition to a BLT.

Lisa said:

Both suggestions sound good – thanks! I am pregnant so won’t eat mayo. I tried cream cheese last night – good, but a little rich.

Kathy Maister said:

Congratulations Lisa!

Sylvie said:

I love your website Kathy, it makes me feel connected to my great american friends there in the U S of A. On the subject of BLT Sandwiches or any sandwiches come to mention it, my friend Katie, is always amazed at how we brits, spread butter on our bread before putting anything in it. Is that just my wonderful weird friend or is that generally not done in the states?

Merry Christmas to one and all and peace throughout the world. Sylvie.

Kathy Maister said:

Hi Sylvie,
When I was a little girl, step one in making any sandwich was to spread butter on the bread. That is not necessarily the case now a days. In fact it is very rare to see that done anymore.

Having visited family in England 3 to 4 times a year for the past 25 years, I can honestly say that I have eaten my fair share of sandwiches there. My conclusion is that UK sandwiches are far superior to their US cousins!

Here in the USA it is very difficult to buy a simple sandwich. Most are about three inches thick and would feed two people.

I love how in the UK you can buy a normal size sandwich, with really interesting filling, that tastes great! My favorite is the Ploughman’s Lunch sandwich. (Two normal slices of whole grain bread with butter, a slice of cheddar cheese, Branston pickle, and some greens.)

Cheers!
Kathy

Sylvie Hounsell said:

Dear Kathy,

thank you so much for your reply and can I please tell you my favourite sandwich in the US?

Salt Beef (which is known as corned beef in the states and very different from which we get here in the UK) from…….Carnegies in New York followed by Strawberry Cheese Cake, oh how did we manage it? Four of us shared it!!!!!

Wishing you all a lovely Christmas

Kathy Maister said:

Now that’s a SANDWICH! I love how everyone’s jaw drops when these sandwiches arrive at the table!
Everything at NYC delis comes in HUGE servings!
(BTW a NYC style cheese cake is the BEST in the world!

I literally just got back from London last night. I love how mince pies are everywhere! You would have to look long and hard to find one in Boston! All of the holiday foods at the grocery stores looked amazing. Nothing beats traditional Christmas food in England!

Happy Christmas to you as well Silvie!

Kathy

Ashley said:

These are seriously my favorite sandwhich in the summer! With fresh picked tomatoes right off the vine (or whatever it is technically called) so they are kinda warm and so so so good!
Why is it fresh grown tomatoes are so much better? BUT MY GOODNESS THEY ARE!!

Awesome post!

Ooo! thought, have you ever made your own mayo???

startcooking said:

Ashley, you are so right! Warm tomatoes, fresh from the garden are GREAT! Hot house tomatoes are just not the same.
Yes, I have made my own mayo and it is fantastic, but I fear not very high on the list of things for people just learning how to cook!

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