BLT Sandwich with Basil Mayo

Layering the ultimate BLT sandwich on a cutting board

5 from 2 votes

The classic BLT sandwich is about as simple as it gets! Don't let the summer pass you by without indulging in this delicious lunch or easy dinner recipe.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword BLT Sandwich

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings sandwiches

Calories 641kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

8 slices thick-cut bacon
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons lemon zest
8 slices ripe tomato
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
8 slices sandwich bread
8 lettuce leaves (such as Bibb lettuce or Romaine lettuce)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Arrange the bacon in single layer on the foil–lined baking sheet. Bake until bacon is deeply browned and crispy, 20-25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, break each slice of bacon in half.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, basil and lemon zest. Set aside.
Place tomato slices on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Toast the bread in a toaster oven or under the broiler until golden brown.
Spread the basil mayonnaise on one side of each slice of toasted bread. Top four of the slices of bread with lettuce, tomato, and bacon. Top each sandwich with remaining bread slices.
Cut sandwiches in half diagonally and serve.

Notes

This recipe yields four sandwiches; however, you can easily scale the recipe up or down to make as many sandwiches as you need.
BLTA Sandwich: add avocado to the BLT to make it a "BLTA".
Cheese: add pimento cheese for a Southern touch, or try sliced cheddar, mozzarella, Provolone or Swiss.
Chicken, Turkey or Salmon: add extra meat or seafood like turkey, grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, roasted salmon or grilled salmon.
Onion: thinly sliced Vidalia onion or pickled red onion would be delicious additions.
Cucumber: add sliced cucumber for even more fresh crunch!
Pick in-season, ripe, summer tomatoes for the best flavor and texture. Let them sit with salt on paper towels to absorb some of the extra moisture before placing them in the sandwiches.
Thick-cut bacon will yield the best sandwich.
Use high-quality mayonnaise like Duke's brand...not an alternative sauce like Miracle Whip.
Pick a thick-sliced bread that you enjoy. I've used white bread here, but other good options include rye, pumpernickel, wheat, English muffin bread, and oatmeal bread. For a twist, try croissants, toasted English muffins, bagels or wraps.
Lightly toast the bread for more flavor and to help it stand up to the filling ingredients.
These sandwiches are best served immediately. While you can certainly pack them in a picnic basket for the pool (I've done it many times!), the bread tends to get soggy from the tomatoes after too long.

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