Did you know that July is National Picnic Month? If you didn't, that's okay - you still have one day to celebrate (but who really needs a reason to have a picnic). Check out these five BLT recipes to enjoy bacon all summer long, and give your taste buds a kick with these not-so-ordinary bacon, lettuce, and-tomato sandwich.
The Fried Green Tomato BLT
Fried green tomatoes can be somewhat of a mystery. Some claim that the popular Southern comfort food is made with unripe red tomatoes - others use actual green tomatoes, which can be a little harder to find. Either way, a tomato is a tomato - and tomatoes go great with bacon!
To make this dish, you'll need:
4 large green tomatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (ground)
1 quart of vegetable oil for the frying
AND OF COURSE:
toast, bacon, lettuce, and mayonnaise.
Slice the tomatoes anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Or just eyeball it, we're not picky. Whisk the eggs and milk together, and scoop the flour onto a plate. Mix the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into the flour to coat them, and then dip into the milk and egg mixture. Dredge in the breadcrumbs to completely coat.
In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil and heat on medium. Place tomatoes into the frying pan, just make sure they're not touching each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip them and fry the other side. Drain them on paper towels and preferably wait for them to cool before adding to your BLT. If you burn your tongue, you won't taste the savory sandwich, just burnt taste buds.
See original recipe here.
BLT Macaroni Salad
Macaroni salad is a picnic staple anyways - why not combine it with some bacon!
What you'l need:
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
Cook the macaroni, drain, and let it cool. Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, salt and pepper first - then add pasta and remaining ingredients, mix well, cover, and refrigerate until you're ready to leave for the picnic!
See original recipe here.
BLT Salad in a Jar
This one is ridiculously easy. Find a jar, or a mug, or a cup, whatever you want. This is what you'll need:
Bacon
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Croutons (however many you prefer)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon salt
We could have given you exact measurements for each ingredient, but honestly, this recipe is all yours. If you like more bacon than tomato on your BLT, we don't blame you. Just add more bacon to your jar. The entire recipe includes throwing mayonnaise, chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes, some crumbled cooked bacon, maybe a few croutons and some seasoning if you like, into a jar and shaking it up. Easy to transport, easy to eat.
See original recipe here.
BLT Wraps
Wraps are always an easy favorite. You can find them at restaurants, fast and sit down, you can find them in school and hospital cafeterias, and at your next picnic.
For this recipe, you'll need:
10 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup of grape tomatoes, quartered
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of shredded lettuce
4 burrito sized tortillas
3 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon mayo
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
In separate bowls combine the grape tomatoes with your seasoning and the softened cream cheese with the mayo and Dijon mustard. Combine everything in a large bowl and then divide the mixture among the tortillas. Roll up your wrap and you're done!
See original recipe here.
BLT Pizza
Who doesn't love pizza? To make a BLT pizza, this is what you'll need:
However many prepared or homemade pizza crusts you'd like
1/2 cup of mayonnaise or salad dressing per pizza
Basil, garlic powder, onion powder to taste
12 slices of bacon per pizza
1 1/2 cup of cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Monterrey Jack, whatever's your favorite)
1 1/2 cups lettuce (for the topping)
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise and all your seasonings. Refrigerate this for at least a half hour or more. Use an ungreased pizza pan and spread the mayonnaise mixture over the crust. Set aside 1/4 cup of bacon for later, and sprinkle the rest along with the cheese on the crust. Bake at 425 degrees F for 8 to 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Once the crust is done, top with the lettuce, tomato, and the rest of the bacon.
See original recipe here.
The best part about following a recipe is that you don't have to. If you're not a mayonnaise fan but love ranch on your BLT, go for it. Bacon goes with anything, and we're happy to celebrate National Picnic Month with twists on a good old fashioned classic.
