Making The Perfect, NO MESS, BLT Sandwich

I have spent many years working in all sorts of kitchens. Because of this I know many tips and cooking hacks.

One of the best tips I was taught was how to cook bacon in your oven.

Bacon can be tricky for even the best cooks. Anyone who has braved the continental breakfast bar knows the gamble you take when you approach the bacon tin.

Sometimes it’s so overdone it could only be eaten crumbled over a baked potato. Other times it’s so chewy, you can’t eat it without worrying about the stomach ache you’ll be suffering later.

Plus the preparation itself can be downright dangerous! A pan full of sizzling bacon may smell delicious, but it can quickly turn into a mini volcano of grease.

Do you abandon the pan, risking improperly bacon or brave the risk of painful skin burns?

How about neither? How about instead, you cook your bacon in the oven?

The oven method is the BEST way to cook bacon.

The oven cooks the bacon easily, there is no grease splatter to clean up, and it is a great way to add unique seasonings and flavors to your bacon.

Plus you can make a TON at once so it’s perfect for hosting.

But what should you do with all that bacon? There are so many answers, but there are three letters that stand above the rest.

BLT’s are probably one of our favorite weeknight meals, so I came up with a delicious new recipe that kicks your traditional BLT up a notch. Follow along for the how-to!

Step One: Get a package of bacon.

I prefer the thick cut bacon as it makes for a better sandwich.

For this recipe you will also need:

• A foil covered cookie sheet
• 2 T of brown sugar
• 1 T of chili powder
• Some fresh ground black pepper

Now start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees.

Next spread your bacon out on the cookie sheet. You can place the bacon semi close because it shrinks as it cooks, just make sure it’s not overlapping.

Next, sprinkle the chili powder, brown sugar, and cracked black pepper evenly across all the slices of bacon.

The cook time will vary for every oven and type of bacon you use, so check on the bacon often. Mine took about 20 minutes until it was perfectly cooked.

Once its fully cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and allow it to sit on some folded paper towels while you prepare the sandwich makings.

For this sandwich I use scallions sliced thin, butter lettuce, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, and sliced tomatoes. For the bread, I use toasted sourdough bread.

Now assemble your sandwich.

Spread mayo on both sides of the bread, lettuce on both sides, bacon on one side, and tomato on the other.

Slice on the diagonal and serve!

This is the best kind of summer lunch or dinner.

Pro Tip: Make a bunch of bacon on sheet pans and you can store it in the fridge for one week to use for sandwiches or salads.

For another great sandwich recipe check the PERFECT HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH.