Back to this week
Birthday BLTAs
A classic BLT with avocado, inspired by my mom’s birthday dinner of choice. Simple, fast, and best served with strawberries, salty chips, chocolate cake, and a glass of chardonnay.
LunchAnchor mealBaconButter lettuceTomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 2 large slicing tomatoes
- 1 large avocado
- 8 slices sandwich bread
- 4+ tbsp mayonnaise
- Flaky sea salt, optional
- Fresh ground pepper, optional
Method
- 1Preheat oven to 400°F
- 2Line a baking sheet with foil and lay bacon in a single layer
- 3Bake bacon on the bottom rack for 14 minutes
- 4Rotate pan and bake another 4–6 minutes, depending on desired crispiness
- 5Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate
- 6While bacon cooks, slice tomatoes ¼ inch thick
- 7Wash and separate lettuce leaves
- 8Remove avocado pit and slice avocado
- 9Toast bread
- 10Spread mayonnaise on one slice of toast
- 11Add tomato, salt, and pepper
- 12Smash avocado onto the other slice of toast
- 13Add bacon and lettuce
- 14Fold sandwich together carefully
- 15Cut on the diagonal
- 16Serve with strawberries, potato chips, and a glass of chardonnay
Notes
- Cook bacon on two sheet pans if you want to make the whole package at once
- Foil makes cleanup easier
- The avocado makes this feel a little more special without making it complicated
- Fresh strawberries and potato chips turn this into a full birthday dinner
Swaps
- Use sourdough or white sandwich bread (kid favorite)
- Use romaine or mixed greens instead of butter lettuce
- Skip the avocado for a classic BLT
- Swap bacon for sliced bell peppers and cumbers for a vegetarian version
- Add turkey if you want it heartier
Use It Again
- Use leftover bacon for chicken Cobb salads or egg scrambles
- Extra lettuce and tomato makes for an easy next day sandwich
- More perfectly ripe avocados? Avocado toast, guacamole, Cobb salad
Get the plan in your inbox
One weekly newsletter with the plan, grocery guidance, and the notes that make it fit together.