Sheet Pan Bacon and a BLT Bar for Family Meals & Parties

 

A Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich (BLT) Bar is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and the ultimate nod to an American classic. Pile up platters of hot crispy bacon, golden toasted bread, cold crisp lettuce (we love romaine or iceberg), and thick-sliced ripe tomatoes, chilled and ready to stack. It’s easy to set up, fun to customize, and perfect for any gathering from casual brunches to backyard cookouts. Plus, accommodate all tastes by adding a few veggie and turkey bacon options. When everything’s fresh, crisp, and ready to build, you’ve got what it takes to make perfect BLTs – dressed with Blue Plate Mayo of course. That’s the good stuff!

What You Need

 

Creating a BLT Bar is easy. You’ll want to offer a few different kinds of each of the basic sandwich components. Make sure to include a variety of whatever looks freshest, most interesting, and most colorful. Choose some hearty sliced breads for toasting (set the toaster on the table as part of the spread) and some fresh New Orleans style French bread (aka po-boy bread) for those who prefer a BLT po-boy.  

• Crispy Bacon: Try hickory smoked bacon, peppered, maple flavored, turkey bacon, and plant-based bacon if you want a vegan option. Pro tip: Roast the bacon in the oven on rimmed sheet pans (1 lb bacon per pan) at 375° for about 15 minutes.
• Fresh Lettuce: The colder and crispier, the better. Try romaine or even good old iceberg lettuce, because it’s as crispy as lettuce gets.
• Tomatoes: Go for the ripest, prettiest you can find – Roma tomatoes, beefsteak, heirloom or Creole tomatoes. Chill and slice ’em thick.
• Bread: Any great quality sliced breads from white sandwich to a crusty sourdough to New Orleans style French bread, if you can get it.
• Extra Toppings & Sides: Set out avocado slices, sliced cheeses, our Hot & Spicy Pimento Cheese, sliced red onions, salt & pepper, pickles and potato chips.

Creamy Condiments add layers of flavor

Classic Blue Plate Mayo and Blue Plate Hot & Spicy Mayo are the BLT standards, but why not mix in some flavors, too? Set out dishes of other easy-to-make condiments including Hot Dill Pickle Mayo, Louisiana Style Remoulade Sauce, Homemade Ranch Dressing, and Pink Fry Sauce.

How to Assemble a BLT Bar

The great thing about a BLT Bar is it can be prepped mostly ahead of time. First, cook the bacon, arrange it on a platter on paper towels, and keep it warm. Mix up your mayonnaise spreads and sauces and refrigerate them until the last minute. When it’s time to eat, slice and arrange the tomatoes, lettuce and other toppings on platters. Then set out the condiments, fire up the toaster and ring the dinner bell!

How do you BLT? There are so many ways.

Why not try a combination of hickory smoked bacon, beefsteak tomato, romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, and Hot Dill Pickle Mayo on toasted sourdough? Or hot peppered bacon, Roma tomato, curly leaf lettuce, red onions and straight up Blue Plate Mayo on a length of delicate, crispy-on-the-outside New Orleans po-boy bread? Endless possibilities, all dressed to perfection with Blue Plate Mayo – That’s the good stuff!