Dinner / Sandwiches, burgers & pizza
BLT with Oven Bacon and Garlic Pepper Mayo
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Bacon that snaps, tomato slices salted and drained, crunchy lettuce, and mayo stirred with garlic and pepper. Stack it all on toast and eat the first one standing at the counter, over the plate.
The short version
Bake 12 slices of bacon at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, salt the tomato slices and let them drain, stir garlic and pepper into the mayo, and stack it all on toast. About 30 minutes.
What makes ours better
the tricks Nonna pretends she never taught me
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Bake the bacon. A sheet pan cooks the whole pound flat and evenly with no splatter and no flipping, and you can make toast while it bakes.
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Salt the tomatoes first. Salt pulls out surface water, so the slices taste more like tomato and the bread stays crisp.
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Season the mayo. Garlic, lemon and pepper make plain mayo into a sauce that stands up to the bacon.
What you need
the cast, in order of appearance
- Bacon12 slices
- Ripe tomatoes2 medium
- Mayonnaise⅓ cup
- Garlic1 small clove
- White or sourdough bread8 slices
yes, all of the butter
Steps
deep breath. you’ve got this.
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Heat the oven
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
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Bake the bacon
Lay the bacon in a single layer on the sheet, a little space between slices. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and crisp at the edges. Thick-cut bacon needs a few more minutes. Move to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Check at 15 minutes. Bacon goes from golden to burnt quickly.
About 18 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Salt the tomatoes
While the bacon bakes, lay the tomato slices on paper towels and sprinkle with the salt. Let them sit 10 minutes, then pat the tops dry.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Stir the mayo
Stir the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and pepper together in a small bowl.
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Toast the bread
Toast the bread until golden and firm. Do it as the bacon finishes so it stays warm.
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Build the sandwiches
Spread the mayo on all 8 slices, all the way to the edges. On 4 slices, layer 2 lettuce leaves, 3 tomato slices and 3 slices of bacon. Add a pinch of black pepper. Close with the remaining toast, mayo side down.
Put lettuce against the bottom bread so it shields the toast from tomato juice.
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Cut and serve
Press down gently and cut each sandwich in half with a serrated knife. Serve right away.
Good to know
read this before somebody asks for seconds
- Use the best tomato you can find, in season. Out of season, small vine-ripened or cherry tomatoes sliced thin taste better than big pale ones.
- For the "A" in a BLAT, add half a sliced avocado to each sandwich.
- Cook the bacon on a wire rack set on the sheet for flatter, crisper slices.
- Storage. Cooked bacon keeps in the fridge 4 days and the mayo 1 week. Assemble the sandwich only when you're ready to eat.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
How long do you bake bacon at 400°F?
15 to 20 minutes for regular-cut and 20 to 25 for thick-cut. Pull it when it's deep golden brown and mostly crisp, since it keeps crisping as it cools.
Do I need to flip the bacon?
No. The oven heats it from all sides, so a single layer on a sheet pan cooks evenly without flipping.
How do I keep a BLT from getting soggy?
Salt and drain the tomatoes, toast the bread well, spread mayo to the edges to seal the bread, and eat it soon after building.
What bread is best for a BLT?
Sturdy white, sourdough or country bread that toasts without getting tough. Thin bread tears under the tomato.
Can I make a BLT ahead?
Prep the parts ahead, cook the bacon, make the mayo and slice the lettuce. Slice and salt the tomatoes and build the sandwich only when you eat.
From the table
Made it? Tell me how it went, and who went back for seconds when they thought nobody was looking.
Made it?
be honest. I can take it. probably.
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Published October 29, 2026.