BLT Sandwich: A Classic Anyone Can Make

The BLT sandwich is simple and a culinary icon. The combination of bacon, lettuce, and tomato create an unbelievable taste that makes your mouth water.

The exact origins of the BLT are debated in the halls of professional food historians. The classic ingredients have been around for centuries. Yet, recipes specifically for a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich appeared much later than you would guess.

Many believe the BLT evolved from another popular food icon, the club sandwich. Early 20th-century cookbooks, like one from 1903, featured a club sandwich. This layered recipe included bacon, lettuce, tomato, and often a slice of turkey. It appears the simple BLT spin-off gained popularity after World War II. The rapid growth of supermarkets meant fresh tomatoes were available year-round.

The abbreviation, B.L.T., likely started as shorthand for busy restaurants and smalltown diners, but that’s just an uneducated guess. Today, the BLT is a fixture on menus everywhere. It remains one of the most popular and satisfying sandwiches ever created. Many variations exist, often using different breads or adding extras like avocado.

What is our favorite BLT? The simple kind!

A BLT sandwich is something you can keep simple or make a luxury dish like Gordon Ramsey’s famous Lobster BLT in Main. But even when keeping it simple at home, there are a few small things you can do to mix it up a bit.

Here is a simple way to make a BLT that goes just a bit further than bread, bacon, lettuce, and tomato.  

Ingredients for our classic homemade BLT

• Bread: Two slices of toasted Italian bread.
• Bacon: Four to five slices of thin-cut Smoked Applewood bacon (thin bacon is easier to eat in a sandwich and gets crispier without being over-cooked).
• Tomato: One thick slice of a ripe, juicy tomato (whatever type of tomato you like best).
• Aromatics: A thin slice of onion.
• Cheese: A slice of your favorite cheese (we suggest aged or sharp cheddar).
• Greens: Crisp green leaf lettuce, but you can use just about any type of lettuce as well.
• Sauce: Garlic Aioli mixed with a small dash of horseradish sauce.

Steps for Sandwich Perfection

1. Prep the Bacon: Cook the Smoked Applewood bacon until it is just getting crispy. Drain excess fat on a paper towel while you prepare the bread.

1. Toast the Bread: Lightly toast your Italian bread slices. This adds a satisfying crunch, but also keeps the bread from becoming soggy.

1. Mix the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the creamy garlic aioli and a touch of horseradish sauce. Start with just a small amount of horseradish. You want a subtle kick, not an overwhelming heat.
2. Assemble the Base: Spread the sauce mixture generously on both toasted bread slices.
3. Layer the Toppings: Start with the lettuce on the bottom slice. This creates a helpful moisture barrier for the bread.
4. Add the Cheese and Tomato: Place the slice of cheese over the lettuce. Follow with the thick, ripe tomato slice.
5. Bring the Heat: Add the crispy applewood bacon on top of the tomato. Then place the thin slice of onion over the bacon.
6. Finish and Enjoy: Crown the sandwich with the second slice of bread. If you are using larger slices of bread, you can slice the BLT in half. We like to use smaller slices, so they are easy to manage.