Casual Entertaining: BLTs for Dinner
Why not? It’s arguable, but we’re not sure there’s a better sandwich to eat when tomatoes are at their peak (maybe this one). BLTs take very little effort, and you can customize them with different additions, like egg or avocado, to keep it interesting for your guests.
The only real prep you have to do for dinner (minus whatever you’re planning for sides) is cook the bacon. Then it’s just slice the tomatoes, slather on the mayonnaise, and build a sandwich.
We find that BLTs are one of those foods that everyone is glad to see—like macaroni and cheese or a great roast chicken. You can buy (or make) a great white or sourdough bread, splurge on some expensive, thick-cut bacon, and then get the best tomatoes you can find at the market.
Other ways to spruce them up:
-Add slices of hard-boiled egg (which you can make ahead), like in the Bacon, Egg, and Tomato Club Sandwiches, from Gourmet, pictured above.
-Add avocado, similar to the Spanglish Sandwich.
-Make a basil mayonnaise.
-If you have someone that’s wary of mayonnaise, offer to drizzle sandwiches with a little homemade balsamic vinaigrette instead.
We’re planning to serve BLTs to friends tomorrow night with a pile of corn on the cob and a cucumber and red onion salad. What do you think?
(Image: John Kernick for Gourmet)