Extra-Crispy BLT
Updated Aug. 17, 2021
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound thin-cut bacon, halved crosswise
- 8(¼-inch-thick) slices of large, ripe tomatoes (such as beefsteak, from about 2 12-ounce tomatoes)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1small head iceberg lettuce
- 8slices airy white bread (such as sandwich bread, pain de mie or milk bread)
- Mayonnaise and/or Dijon mustard
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil, including up the sides. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the lined sheet pan, overlapping pieces slightly, if necessary, to fit them all on the pan. Transfer to the oven and cook, without flipping, until deep golden brown and curling in spots, 15 to 25 minutes. (You can put the bacon in as the oven heats up; it will help the fat render.) Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. (You can fold and curl the pieces onto the plate; this will add more texture to the final sandwich.)
- Step 2
Meanwhile, season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Cut four ¼-inch-thick slabs of the iceberg lettuce crosswise. (Make a wedge salad with the rest.) Toast the bread in the toaster or directly on an empty rack in the oven, flipping halfway through.
- Step 3
Spread one side of the toasted bread with mayonnaise and/or mustard. Add 2 slices of tomato to half the bread slices. Top with one slab of lettuce, then add the bacon. It will be tricky to lay the bacon flat, and that’s good. Arrange them irregularly, so there are pockets of air between the slices.
- Step 4
Top with the remaining slices of bread. Press down slightly, cut in half and eat right away.
Private Notes
Comments
OK, I'm going to stick up for the much-maligned iceberg lettuce. Nothing beats it for the juicy crunch. And despite reports to the contrary, it does have flavor. The other leafy lettuces are great too and have their applications, but iceberg remains the best. Thanks. I feel better now. Been keeping that in a long time....
OR, use a tasty white bread (such as your homemade sourdough or TJ's Canadian White Bread) and ALWAYS put the tomatoes next to the mayonnaise that has been smeared liberally on the still-warm toasted bread. Seriously, it's YOUR sandwich. I like mine as just described, because I want the tomato/mayonnaise combination to soak into the crusty sourdough bread. Ali's offering a strategy that works to make the sandwich have plenty of crunch. Yours is yours...
Never put the tomatoes next to the bread!
I add a fried egg to make it a BLTE!
Used homemade sandwich bread, juicy tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, a few slices of jalapeño, good olive oil and sea salt. No bacon or mayo, and it was delicious! I’m already eager to make the next one. 🍅
Yes to tomato next to the bread/mayo! And don’t forget the avocado, mashed into the other slice! Seriously summer.