Happy Saturday to all Baconians!
It’s me again………..the King of Baconia who every Saturday, takes over the kitchen from the regular Castle Chef for a morning of baking something delicious that involves BACON! Our Chef here att he Castle really doesn’t mind……..he looks cranky but he isn’t – right Francoise??
Good – I will let you know when I’ve cleaned up the kitchen with help from the Castle Cleaning Crew and you may re-inhabit your domain!
So what will I be cooking for you today?
The PERFECT BLT
WHAT??????????????? But we ALL know how to make one of those you say…………..that may be true, but there are a couple of extra touches that make it even more delish – just a simple BLT or add some extras if you like……………. you’ll agree with me – I bet you will!
INGREDIENTS:
6 pieces thick-cut bacon
- 8 slices good bread
- About 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use Hellmann’s)
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 large perfectly ripe tomato, cut into 4 generous slices, or 2 plum tomatoes, cut into 4 lengthwise slices each
- Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Romaine or iceberg lettuce, about 8 sandwich-size pieces
Now, remember I said you could jazz this up with some “details”? Check these out:
• Swap out the plain lettuce for arugula, spinach, or watercress
• Swap out the bacon for pancetta (but bacon is best!)
• Add grilled or caramelized onions or a thin slice of raw onion
• Add a fried egg
• Add a slice of avocado or guacamole, or make a quick guac-ish mash smash up some avocado with lime juice and maybe some minced scallion or minced cilantro
• Mix the mayo with some smoked paprika, hot pepper sauce, minced fresh basil, cilantro, or another fresh herb or your choice
• Add a sautéed thin chicken cutlet (when I say THIN I mean THIN)
• When you’re browning the bread, you could add a slice or a smear of cheese on half the slices (on the top as you brown the bottom – any cheese, such as cheddar, Monterey jack, brie, or goat cheese. Cover the pan for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts slightly, and then assemble the BLTs (lightly mayo the non-browned side of the remaining 4 slices of bread).
My Mom’s favorite addition is avocado………..of course not everyone is in love with avocado like she is but try one of the other optional goodies………….Adding the fried egg makes it a perfect breakfast sandwich for instance!
See? The wonderful BLT is just plain delicious no matter how you slice it (hahahahaha – I made a joke!). Trust me……..
I could make that for my brekkie, YUM!
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It’s a wonderful brekkie – and my Mom quite OFTEN has one herself……Dad likes the fried egg on but Mom is not an egg-person.
Hugs, Teddy
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I think I could do the countertops more easily than that little cutie! I can put my nose on the countertop with all four paws on the ground.
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Oh Clowie I just bet you could….do you ever help yourself to anything in the food arena on those counters of yours or have your bipeds learned not to put anything edible up there?!?!?! HAHAHA
Hugs, Teddy
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I never help myself to anything on there but, it has to be said, the bipeds don’t leave anything tempting around! 😀
They expect to be able to put anything down for a few minutes without it being taken, but they don’t think it’s fair to leave tempting food around for longer than that.
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Sounds like the perfect arrangement. You’re a VERY good girl and they are VERY smart not to tempt you!
Hugs, Teddy
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The cats, however, have no scruples about taking things they want – food or small things that make nice toys!
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Teddy has never gone onto a counter (maybe because he’s too big to???)……..he has been up on the desk in the kitchen but only when he was little and nosy. These days he finds plenty of things to keep him occupied on the floor (thankfully!).
Hugs, Pam
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Sounds wonderful. Have a great weekend. A really hot and humid one here.
Sue B
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We’re gonna have a hottie here this weekend too…..I think INSIDE will be preferable to OUTSIDE!! ENjoy your weekend too…………….INSIDE.
Hugs, Pam
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You know Teddy…mom says she likes just BLT on a BLT. One exception to her would probably be as your Dad does, and add an egg. There is a lovely taste to a fried egg, a slice of ripe tomato, some mayonnaise and lettuce as well. Never thought of bacon on that. I will from now on. XXOO
Katie Isabella
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Oh YAY! Glad we jump started the thought for you of adding bacon to that yummy egg sammmmmich! Like icing on a cake…….purrfect!
Hugs, Teddy
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We like to add avocado! We also add a little Rib City Sweet BBQ sauce. Love your BLTs!
Good Morning!
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You just can’t go wrong with a BLT – basic or jazzed up – it’s just plain PERFECT isn’t it! 🙂
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Yes, perfect! We are going to grill chicken kabobs tonight if we don’t get stormed out but Sunday I think it will be your BLTs!
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Love the sound of this recipe. I just made some black Russian bread (my personal favorite), have a ripe avocado, as Pix under the Palm Fronds suggested as well as avocado mayo and spinach. Otherwise, I don’t need to make any other substitutions.
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Sounds good to me….never had black Russian bread – will have to check that out!
Hugs, Pam
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https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7034/russian-black-bread/ is a good recipe – I modify is slightly (Big surprise, right?) For instance, we haven’t used sea salt in years – we use Pink Himalayan Rock Salt, which has a much better flavor, plus it is healthier, not only due to the minerals, but due to pollution of our oceans. Also, instead of using brown sugar, I add molasses and actual coffee instead of water + instant coffee.
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Oh that sounds so good – I will definitely give this a try. We use Pink Himalayan Rock Salt too!!! Tasty – I only use it in cooking but I’m not sure WHY – we could use it at the table too. Thanks a bunch for the recipe!
Hugs, Pam
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Pam, we use the coarse ground and have a salt grinder on the table. As we understand it, Morton puts talc on the salt so it doesn’t glob up in salt sellers due to humidity — talc isn’t healthy.
Prior to discovering Himalayan salt, we had sea salt, to I use that when boiling eggs… Ehem, if you work with water colors, salt can also be used – sparingly – to ‘repel paint’… for instance to make white tops on waves.
Hugs back at you, Jeanne
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I learned the salt trick back when I used to paint – it does amazing things to “splashes” or clouds. I need to get a new salt grinder….we have one for pepper though as my husband loves freshly ground pepper.
Hugs, Pam
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Pam, we only have one salt grinder, but 3 pepper grinders. BTW, I don’t know if you can grow papayas where you live, but if you dry the seeds, they are a great pepper substitute. Since I’m on the topic of papaya, green papayas can be shredded (peeled & deseeded, too) for a yummy substitute for cole slaw – use lime juice for ‘dressing’…. add shrimp and tomatoes and it’s a complete meal!
Jeanne
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YUM……I don’t think I could grow them here – Virginia is weird with weather…….but they ALWAYS have them at our grocery. The shrimp/papaya “slaw” sounds interesting!
Hugs, Pam
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You’d probably need to grow them either as an annual or in a largish container, which you could bring in for the winter.
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My wife love’s BLTs. I should make that for her. And since I have fresh basil growing in my garden that would be a great extra, along with a little avocado.
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Oh I love your cleaning crew….
Man of the house is a huge BLT guy.
Hugs Cecilia
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Double decker BLT with grilled onions and Swiss cheese — try it, you won’t regret it (unless you are lactose intolerant).
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Oh man – now you’ve gone and done it – I’ve gotta have that – ASAP…… 🙂
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Now I’m hungry! I have everything but the tomato!
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Times like that is when you wish you had a neighbor with a veggie garden………..tee hee
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I have a tomato garden but they are not yet ripe. Soon! There’s always the farmer’s market.
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Yes……and those farmers market veggies are THE BEST!
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That is BLT Heaven Teddy!
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I know! I agree……….makes me wish I was human (sort of!).
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Mom’s favorite is with avocado. They make that for her at the restaurant down the street, and she has it as a wrap. But your toasty bread with the mayo sounds heavenly. Mom was thinking as she was reading this that it might be yummy with pimento cheese. She’s never tried that. Have a good weekend. Hope you get lots of outside time, Teddy. XOCK, angel Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy and Sawyer
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I think it would be great with pimento cheese or actually any cheese including her favorite which is super sharp cheddar. But the avocado SEALS THE DEAL!!!!!!
Hugs, Teddy
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Is that you doing the windows Teddy? That looks good. I haven’t had a BLT since last summer. Have a great day! XO
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I don’t do windows (hahahahaha)……….I do like to LICK windows sometimes when moisture forms on the inside on a steamy day!
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If you ever want to share your cleaning crew…just saying. 😆
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They are definitely kept busy keeping the kitchen clean I can assure you! I think they take on other clients too though so will have them give you a BUZZ! LOL
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I would be adding avocado. I love them!
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I have avocado on mine too Jackie……I really love avocado but it sure tastes extra good on a BLT!
Love, Pam
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Teddy that does sound like a wonderful way to make a BLT. At our house Dad likes BT and since he cooks we dont complain. Purrs
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Oh it is a great way but in truth ANY way you have a BLT is good – everyone likes it a certain way I think – this just kind of jumpstarts everyone who has forgotten the good old BLT I think!!!!
Hugs, Teddy
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We think your improved BLT sounds yummy and each idea should be given a try! 😋
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I think all of the “options” sound wonderful. Mom said earlier that she’s going to make BLTs for dinner tonight in fact!
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Mommy has never had a piece of avocado and she says she doesn’t want to. She can’t imagine how that tastes, nor will she ever find out… but she sure wouldn’t put it on anything like a yummy BLT.
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I can remember as a little girl my Mom trying to get me to try avocado because she loved them. I was very stubborn about that (and trying pickled pigs feet which she wanted me to try!)……but I eventually DID eat a salad with avocado in it and LOVED IT. It’s a strange thing to even THINK about putting on a BLT but I think it’s because bacon is salty and avocado tastes great with some salt on it. ANYWAY, a “regular” BLT with nothing but the basics on it really IS the VERY VERY VERY VERY best way to have a BLT!
Love, Pam
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Pickled pigs feet…nevarrrrrr. Daddy ate them, but he could never get ME too. We, as a family, didn’t like mushrooms , too.
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The pickled pigs feet were only eaten (as I recall) by my sister and my Mom. I couldn’t even LOOK at them!! 🙂
Hugs, Pam
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an’ Mommy says you can’t teach an old cat like her new tricks wif foods. Her can’t learn.
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Well some things are more easily learned – like for instance a BLT is even BETTER with LOTS MORE BACON! 🙂
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You have the perfect cleaning crew. Can we hire them from you? BLT is always delicious and we are going to try your idea with the spinach. Something different to change it up. Thanks for sharing. Have a fantastic rest of your weekend.
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Our cleaning crew seems to be picking up a lot of interest – I bet they could tour the country and make a few bucks!! HAHAHA
Hugs, Teddy
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This sandwich sounds so delicious. Wonder if mom would miss the bacon?
Budd
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Budd I think it’s definitely worth a try my friend…….!!
Hugs, Teddy
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Good tips, but let’s face it – there’s nothing like the original!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
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True……….with LOTS of bacon!
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My momma likes a bacon avocado sandwich – we’ll hafta feature it on the blog!
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Bacon and avocado go together almost as good as Bowie in a Basket (hahahaha).
Hugs, Teddy
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