"You might think it’s silly to have a “recipe” for a BLT&A. Do I really need to write an entire blog post about this? YES...YES I DID"
I will show you exactly how to make the best BLT sandwich of your life! Sometimes the simplest recipes are the easiest to mess up. Nobody wants a soggy sandwich, or one that is flavorless and bland! I will show you all the tips and tricks you need to make a perfectly toasted, crispy-yet-tender, juicy and drippy Bacon Lettuce Tomato & Avocado Sandwich!
B-L-T & A Sandwich
Servings – 2 Prep Time – 20 Minutes Cook Time – 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
4 thick slices hearty white bread - Texas Toast Loaf works fantastic
8 teaspoons butter, soft
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
8 slices thin cut bacon, trust me.... make 4 extra... at least 🤣
4-8 pieces green leaf lettuce
1 perfectly ripe tomato
1 perfectly ripe avocado
salt and pepper
Directions:
Prep and cooking the bacon:
You can fry your bacon according to the package, or you can try my easy method Bakin' Bacon!
Preheat your oven to 400°. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, then place the bacon side-by-side on the tray.
Cook the bacon for 10 to 20 minutes or until it's reached your desired level of crispiness. Make sure to check on it after about 10 minutes, as some ovens cook faster. Remove the tray from the oven and transfer the bacon with tongs to a paper towel-lined plate. Don't eat it all before you get to making your sandwiches. I always cook extra because of this reason!
*If you're rendering the bacon fat, line a fine mesh sieve with a paper towel. Then place the sieve over a glass storage container and pour the bacon fat from the sheet tray into the sieve. Cover the glass storage container and place it in the refrigerator for future cooking needs.
While the bacon is cooking, prepare your bread. Spread both sides of your bread with butter. Place in a skillet over medium heat and toast lightly, it will only take a couple minutes. Flip each piece of bread and toast the other side. Don’t overdo it! You only want a light browning. Set aside. You can also use a toaster to toast your bread, skip the butter if you choose to do it this way.
Wash and dry your green leaf lettuce; slice your tomato into slices about 3/8 inch thick. Place the tomatoes on a paper towel-lined plate so absorb some of the water.
Cut your avocado in half, then slice one half into strips.
Assemble your sandwich:
Spread about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise on your toasted bread. Top with lettuce. Add 2 tomato slices, sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper.
Add all the bacon. You should have 8 half-strips of bacon. Pile ’em on! 🤤
Top the bacon with avocado strips.
Spread the other slice of toasted bread with mayonnaise. Top the sandwich and gently press down. (Don't attack the messenger, it's a must!) Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the sandwich in half, I like it on an angle.
Stop what you are doing and eat it right away! 🤣 No if's, &'s or buts about it!
Notes:
The Bread
A good sandwich is only as good as the bread it is sandwiched with. For the perfect BLT&A I recommend a hearty white bread. Some will say this is too flimsy; you need a hearty French bread or Italian loaf to hold up to all that juicy tomato. Wrong! The crusts are too chewy, now don't get me wrong... I LOVE crusty bread! You can find me in a corner eating a warm fresh loaf all by myself... It's my weakness... You need a nice and tender crust, So it's easier to bite into. Those chewy crusts will ruin that first bite, and make all the slippery ingredients fall out.
The Sauce
🙌🏻 MAYONNAISE!! Mayonnaise is God’s greatest gift to the condiment kingdom, by a long shot. It is the perfect seal for so many sandwiches and salads: creamy and smooth and perfectly tart. You choose the brand you love.
The Lettuce
The lettuce you choose is directly related to how much crunch you prefer. I like green leaf and butter lettuce. It’s green enough to make you feel healthy but not so crunchy that you’re overwhelmed and literally can’t hear anything that’s going on in the room when you take a bite. Romaine is my second choice. Good'ole iceberg will do in a pinch!
The Tomato
The tomato is arguably the most important element of a BLT&A, mostly because there are so many ways for it to go wrong! Have you ever had one of those tomatoes that wasn't ripe enough... and it ruins the whole damn sangwich... So you end up pulling them out... Ugh...🙄 Tomatoes bring the flavor. Home grown garden tomatoes are the absolute best of the best... if you don’t have access to great tomatoes, my advice is to wait until summer or grow your own, if you can. I like vine ripe tomatoes, Beefsteak, or Heirlooms are best. But really, any type of tomato will do as long as it is perfectly ripe. It should be bright red and ridiculously juicy!
The Bacon
The main rule here with the bacon is that there has to be a freaking ton of it. You can use thin or thick here... It's your preference; I personally prefer thin bacon... Now that I have changed my lifestyle and eating habits, I prefer turkey bacon... Yeah yeah... it's a sin and a dishonnor to the BLT&A! Shhhh... 🤫 I won't tell the real bacon if you won't. Thin crispy strips that SHATTER with every bite is the way to go! No skimping... this is the star of the show... The more strips the merrier. Pile those suckers on!
The Avocado
I have a secret: This is the A of the BLT&A. Sorry... Not sorry... BLT's were born without the A... But I am here to tell you... Once you go back, you never go back to just a BLT! Make sure your avocado is nice and ripe. It has to be smoosh-able. Slice it up and add it on top of your bacon. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on there too, if you’re feeling extra.
Make a BLT&A next level...
But... my personal opinion... You can't make this sandiwch any better! But you can try!
Here are some variations and additions to try. This is your sandwich! Don’t let this lil ole food blogger tell you any different!
Add a fried egg, with a slight soft drippy center
Sprouts for crunchy yummy-ness
Add pickled cherry peppers
Add roasted red pepper, an Italian twist
Use Pimiento cheese instead of mayo, check out my recipe
Cheddar cheese, Feta, Provolone, Goat Cheese, Muenster one of my favs, or mozzarella. You really can’t go wrong with cheese!
Make fried green tomatoes and use that instead of tomatoes, check out my recipe
Thinly sliced radishes, for an extra peppery punch
"This recipe has to be in everyone's box, it's a staple for everyone's household. Go get your ingredients... you need this sandwich... NOW!"
CWT is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on national brands used per recipe.
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