BLTG: Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Guacamole. First things first, bread. Sourdough bread to be exact, a must, or something very similar (Tuscan Round Bread if your grocer or baker, if you’re that fancy individual who has one near by, has run out) that can hold up to toasting and layering, and all the good stuff inside (definitely don’t toast too much or you’ll ruin the top of your mouth). I find I don’t need to butter the tops of my bread for this sandwich and that simply toasting it gets that perfect crunch on the outside, but softness from the wet components that makes it easy to eat!

Then comes the next most important piece: BACON! Thick cut is an absolute, but after that, if you like flavoring or a particular kind of bacon, go crazy! It’s your sandwich! We stay pretty traditional in our home, and find just your regular maplewood smoked is just perfect to compliment the other pieces to this sandwich. To cook your bacon, you can just go with what you already know and love, but I personally am a baker of bacon only. Sure, it’s a little more time consuming, but I’ve never had a piece of bacon that wasn’t cooked PERFECTLY, just the way I like it with this method, which I’ve included!

Naturally, slice your beef tomatoes (you can go with any tomatoes, but I got with a firm beef tomato because it tends to hold up better and cover more bread/ingredient surface area) and prep your lettuce (I like romaine lettuce myself because it has a softer crunch to compliment the bacon, but you can use whatever is your preference. I’ve even seen people use arugula, which I love, but find a little overly elevated for this gool ol’ classic). Then get to work on that guac, which I make from scratch because I like it better that way!

It’s chunky, it’s smooth, it’s packed full of flavor (and heat if that’s your jam), and it’s so easy to make! We’ve now come to post-toasting, where you’ll layer a little mayo, a little lettuce, a little guacamole (to help keep those parts that tend to break apart or fall out between the bread), then a little bacon (really squish it into that guac for maximum holding), and finally top with tomatoes and that second piece of bread. VOILA! Delicious, elevated in a rustic kind of way, and a sandwich we can’t seem to eat only one of.

Enjoy and happy eating! Cooking Maggie Out!

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The Perfect Bacon

Ingredients

• Bacon…duh!

Supplies

• Plate
• Paper Towel
• Aluminum Foil / Wire Rack
• Baking Sheet

Instructions

1. Set oven to 420 degrees, then run each strip of bacon under cold water.*
2. Either layer the bacon on a wire rack that fits in a large baking pan or cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and layer the bacon inside. Maker sure the bacon is not overlapping.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes, checking at the 10 minute mark, then every 2 minutes after that to make sure it doesn’t burn.
4. Using tongs, move bacon from the sheet to a plate lined with a paper towel to sop up some of that grease, then use as needed!

Notes

* Yes, cold water, because what that does is prevents the meat from shrinking once its in the oven.

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Cooking Maggie’s Guacamole

Ingredients

• 1 avocado, ripe
• 1/2 plum tomato, diced small
• 1/4 small white onion, diced finely
• 1/4 jalapeno (or more to preference), diced finely (leave seeds in if you like heat)
• 2-3 tablespoons cilantro
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1-2 tablespoons lime juice (to preference)

Instructions

1. Cut avocado in half, remove seed, and spoon meat (flesh?) into a small bowl. Smash with the back of a fork.
2. Dice tomatoes, jalapeno, and onion, mince garlic, and add to smashed avocado and stir.
3. Chop up cilantro and add to bowl, stirring to incorporate. Finally, add a dash of salt and squeeze in lime juice, tasting to preference (I add about 1/2 a lime at a time). Stir to combine and serve!!!

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Cooking Maggie’s BLTG Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of Sourdough bread, sliced
• Mayonnaise (amount is to preference, but you’ll need about 1-2 teaspoons per side of each slice for toasting purposes)
• 3-4 strips of crispy bacon (per sandwich, see recipe on Perfect Bacon above)
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced (about 1/16″ to 1/4″)
• Romaine Lettuce
• 1-2 scoops of guacamole (see my own recipe above!)

Instructions

1. Cook your bacon until nice and crispy, and let it sit on a paper towel covered plate (or newspaper if you’re old school!) and set aside.
2. Make your guacamole, set aside.
3. Smear mayonnaise on both sides of each slice of bread, and toast in a pan until lightly browned and crispy on the on outside, and place on a plate.
4. Smear a little more mayo on one of the slices of bread, then top with the lettuce, then tomato, then bacon, and finally, the guacamole. If you want more mayo, smear some more on the other slice. Otherwise, place the second slice on top, cut in half (if you want), and omz nomz NOMZ!