Beyond the Classic BLT: Creative Twists to Try
Classics are classic for a reason. Like vintage cars and best-of-all-time songs, some things are popular because they’re great.
The BLT falls under that category. This sensational sandwich has been a fan favorite since the early 1900s.
Now, some might argue that you should never mess with a classic. But variety is the spice of life, and if you’ve had a thousand BLTs already, you may be itching to try a fresh spin on your daily sandwich.
Well, you’re in the right place. Let’s look at a few ways to take your BLT from basic to breathtaking.
Elevate Your BLT With New Ingredients
The BLT is a hit precisely because of its three-letter recipe: it’s bacon, lettuce, and tomato. That’s it. No frills, no fuss—just B, L, T, and mayo between slices of bread.
Why not add another letter (read: ingredient) to the mix? The purists may clutch their pearls, but most sandwich lovers will find that a well-chosen fourth ingredient will significantly elevate the BLT.
Some sandwich elements to experiment with include:
- Avocado – Try making your BLT a BLAT with a ripe avocado. You can either slice the avo and use it as-is or mash it with some salt, pepper, and chili flakes for an added kick of flavor.
- Fried egg – An egg turns the humble BLT into a BELT, adding extra protein and flavor to your sandwich. Be sure to sprinkle a little salt on your fried egg as it cooks; an unseasoned egg will dilute the bold flavors of the bacon and tomato.
- Sprouts – Whether you grow them at home or buy them, sprouts add a slight vegetal bitterness to your sandwich. The freshness of alfalfa, broccoli, and other sprouts perfectly balances the salty thick sliced bacon and rich mayo.
- Deli meat – Take your pick of black forest ham, smoked turkey breast, or pastrami, and slide it into your sandwich for additional bulk. (Technically, adding deli meat transforms your BLT into a club sandwich without the middle bread, but that’s another story.)
Try Healthier Variations
Another way to switch up your same-old BLT is to swap the original ingredients for more wholesome options.
From the bread to the bacon, every element of your sandwich can be replaced with a healthier choice. Here are some ideas for upgrading your meal.
Use Better Bacon
Most supermarket bacon is cured, meaning it’s full of nitrates and nitrites. These chemical compounds are traditionally added to bacon as a preservative.
While naturally occurring nitrates and nitrates aren’t problematic, experts believe that added nitrates can cause health risks.
Luckily, there’s a healthier option: uncured bacon. Instead of nitrites and nitrates, uncured bacon relies on minimal, natural ingredients to maintain freshness.
With uncured, grass-fed bacon, you can enjoy all the delicious flavor—without the potential problems.
Choose Whole Grain Bread
When you picture a BLT, you probably envision pillowy, white bread. This bread may make for an archetypal sandwich, but it’s not doing you any favors.
White bread is made from refined grains: As the flour is processed, the germ and bran are stripped away, leaving only the endosperm. The result is a finer, whiter flour—one with fewer essential nutrients.
Ultimately, if you want more fiber, vitamins, and minerals into your diet, opt for whole grain bread instead. When shopping, look for loaves of:
- Rye bread
- Whole wheat bread
- Multi-grain bread
Reach for Organic Vegetables
In most cases, the lettuce and tomatoes you’ll find at the grocery store are grown using conventional farming methods. That means the farmers are probably spraying their soil and crops with pesticides.
Pest-prevention measures have their place—but that place isn’t inside your body. By purchasing organic lettuce and tomatoes for your BLT, you can consume fewer pesticide residues.
Experiment With Flavor-Enhancing Sauces
There’s one must-have BLT element we’ve yet to touch on: mayonnaise.
Mayo plays a vital role in any BLT. It adds fat and moisture, keeping every bread-forward bite from feeling dry. It’s also a structural component; the mayo helps hold it all together.
With those two purposes in mind, any mayo-like condiment can fill in for plain mayonnaise. Try replacing (or complementing) the mayo in your next BLT with:
- Chipotle mayo
- Garlic aioli
- Pesto
- Hummus
- Honey mustard
- Goat cheese
- Ranch
- Tzatziki
Each of these sauces adds a distinct flavor to an already iconic sandwich. Play around with the contents of your fridge door and see what you like best!
The BLT: It Starts With Bacon
As you can see, there are no rules to building the perfect BLT. As long as your sandwich is tasty, anything goes.
Actually, there is one rule: Use the best bacon you can find. After all, the BLT is a love letter to that crispy, salty, smoky meat.
Wellshire’s uncured bacon is the answer to all your BLT needs—whether you prefer classic or experimental. Our all natural meats come from humanely raised, vegetarian-fed animals and contain no added growth hormones or antibiotics.
Try Wellshire bacon today and experience the difference quality makes.
Sources:
Sandwich Magazine. Why The B.L.T. Is The Greatest Sandwich In The World. https://www.sandwichmagazine.com/fillings/blog-post-title-four-cty8z-webj5-4frca-lwfrb-y8b9w-f8e56-y6xy4-476tk
WebMD. Foods High in Nitrates. https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-nitrates Mayo Clinic. Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious?https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/organic-food/art-20043880
