the ultimate blt - my version

my husband and i are going to be moving soon (not sure where, but hopefully somewhere fantastic with a big kitchen), so rather than buying new groceries i'm trying to clean out our freezer and pantry so that we'll have less stuff to transport. i had some bacon left over from another recipe, so i decided to make blts for dinner. i've made them before, but (i'm sure you're sensing a pattern here, if you've been following this blog for even a few entries) i never make my blts the same way twice. i decided to google "ultimate blt" for some inspiration...

...and let me just say, woah.

there are tons and tons of options and combinations of flavors. everyone's got the best, the most unique, the most flavorful, the most satisfying blt recipe on the planet. now, i'm not going to say that my blt is mindblowing or will save the world, but it is pretty delicious and unlike any i've had in a restaurant.

feel free to experiment, or to replace ingredients i have listed with your personal favorites, but below is the recipe i used to make my sandwiches.

you will need:

1 cup mayonaise

1 tsp lemon juice

2-3 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp basil pesto

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp basil, finely chopped

1 tsp parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp crushed red pepper

4 slices sourdough bread

2 roma tomatoes

1 cup fresh spinach

8 slices bacon

2 slices gouda cheese

for the spread, i made a type of garlic mayonnaise (aioli) to use on my sandwiches. i took the easy route and used regular mayonnaise as a base, but if you want to get fancy about it you can make it yourself from scratch.

combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, garlic and pesto in a small bowl and stir well.

cover your aioli and put into the refrigerator for at least an hour. this is enough spread for two sandwiches, but this keeps well so you can double or triple the recipe to have on hand if you like.

to give the tomatoes lots of flavor, i marinated mine for a few hours. begin by slicing your tomatoes into nice, thick slices.

these are roma tomatoes, which were the best i could find at my local supermarket. if you can get your hands on a nicer type, like an heirloom variety, this is a great way to use them - the flavors are incredible.

once your tomatoes are all sliced, nestle them together into a bowl.

top them with the olive oil, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. cover and allow to marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

when you're ready to assemble your sandwiches, warm up a large pan or griddle pan and arrange the bacon flat inside of it.

let the bacon sizzle away. when it's time to flip, cover the cooked sides with the ground mustard and crushed red pepper. allow to continue cooking until it's reached desired crispiness.

remove bacon from the pan and blot on paper towels.

lightly toast your bread, then spread each side generously with the aioli spread.

on one side, arrange the spinach in a thick layer.

stack several of the marinated tomatoes on top of the spinach.

then top with several slices of crispy bacon...

...and finish with a slice of gouda.

slice and enjoy!